Light of the Moon
by The Sleeping Library
Summary: Tyr was your average human before the Merge. A massive magical or scientific explosion brought-or forced- the once fictional land of Equestria into the human world. Now, along with both new and old charcters, he must realize new friendships, solve new conflicts, and even find love. Even the moon is lonely sometimes. Please Review and let me know what you think!
1. Prologue: Midnight Meeting

Prelude: Midnight Meeting

It had happened in a rush. With a massive flash of light and noise, the once-thought fictional land of Equestria suddenly merged with what was believed to be the "real world". Humans and Ponies now existed in the same realm of existence. Most humans believed it was some crazed science experiment gone wrong. Most Ponies believed it was a magic spell taken to an extreme. But none could deny the fact that now two completely different cultures had merged. First, the former Ponies of Equestria were found in new, unfamiliar human bodies, albeit with tails. However, magic had been lost in the translation, as far as anyone could tell. As both humans and ponies were adaptable creatures, most attempted to simple move on with their lives.

Some couldn't do so easily.

"Tyr, we're out of apple juice!" A soft voice called from downstairs. Tyr stirred from his book to look up. He was dark skinned young man with braided hair that fell just a bit past his shoulders. He smiled softly and stood up. He wasn't exactly muscular or anything, but he considered himself decently attractive. He walked over to the staircase and glanced down. A small girl with long, bubblegum pink hair tied in a ponytail stood there, fidgeting slightly when she realized he was looking at her. Her name was Sherry Spice, a former inhabitant of Equestria. She had been a young filly in that world, while she was essentially a middle schooler as a human. Much like the human world, Equestria had its share of orphans. So Tyr, and many other sympathetic humans, had adopted them. Sherry was a pretty young girl, shy around those she didn't know, but a joy to be around once she opened up. They had been living together for about a week, so some of that shyness was still there, but Tyr enjoyed her company nonetheless. Honestly, he'd still be living alone in this big house if not for her. The old house had always seemed to have two inhabitants anyway.

"Want me to run out and get some more?"

Sherry blushed a little. "…If it wouldn't bother you…"

Tyr smiled. She was adorable like this. "I don't mind in the slightest my dear. I'll be back in a bit." He came downstairs and retrieved his coat from the closet before heading out. It was a crisp August evening as the sun shed its last light over the horizon. The store wasn't far from the old house Tyr and Sherry shared, so he walked at a brisk pace and got there in a minute. As he entered, he found the store largely abandoned, except for the clerk watching something going on in the back. He seemed a bit engrossed in what he was watching, so he wandered down an aisle to get a better look. He paused in awe at what he saw. An average height girl with long, dark, black and cerulean hair was attempting to reach a bottle of soda on a shelf just outside of her reach. She had a tail of a similar coloration swishing behind her. Apparently the clerk was having more fun watching the girl's butt while she struggled.

"Confound this height of mine," She seethed quietly to herself in a voice that flowed like somber music. "Of course Tia has her greater height, while I…"

"Do you need some help?"

Tyr's voice startled her, and she whirled around defensively. Her hair had the hue of midnight, while her eyes were a light cerulean color. She focused on him with a small scowl. "Why yes, I've been struggling to get that blasted drink for at least five minutes and no one will help me!"

There was a soft chuckle from the store clerk. Tyr shot him a glance before turning back to the irritated beauty in front of him. "Let me get that for you," He said, giving her a wide smile. The girl looked him over, and realizing the height difference, stepped aside. Her star-patterned dress flowed softly around her knees as she moved. She was quite slender; however he could see how she had held the clerk's attention. Tyr shook off the thought and retrieved the soda for her. He also grabbed a carton of apple juice. "Here you are," He said.

She actually smiled. Nothing big, but a small smirk that caught Tyr's eye immediately. "Thank you… my, I have not even gained your name."

"It's Tyr. I live a short walk from here."

"Well met. I am Prin—er, Luna."

"Nice to meet you, Luna."

"The pleasure is mine. "We ought to pay for our consumables, yes?"

"Ah, right." Tyr led Luna lead over to the counter. The clerk, obviously disappointed by Luna's chest, rang her up first. "That'll be two-fifty."

Luna fished around in her purse for a moment before extracting a couple of wadded up dollars. She rooted around for a moment longer, before frowning. "It seems I am short."

"No kidding," the clerk joked, looking at her. She scowled.

"I got it," Tyr said helpfully, putting the carton of apple juice on the counter. "Ring this up too." He tossed a twenty dollar bill onto the counter. The clerk rolled his eyes and rang it up as one purchase. Tyr gave Luna another smile.

"You've been awfully helpful, Tyr," Luna said with a small smile as they left the store. "I should repay you."

"No, it's alright. I'm a self-employed repairman. I have quite a bit of money saved up." He smiled.

"You must get a lot of business."

"Since I have Sherry now, I may have to get an actual job, but yeah." Tyr smiled softly. "It is a small town, after all."

"Much like Ponyville was," Luna said thoughtfully.

"What was it like there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It was… brighter. This world is not horrible, but… our land was always bright no matter what."

"Sounds nice."

"Not to say this world is worse." Luna looked around. "Not having to work at night opens up a lot of possibilities."

"Not having to work?"

"I was a busy… girl back home," Luna said. "I had a lot of things to do in the night time."

"I see." They lapsed into silence. Before long, Tyr saw his house come into view. "Ah, this is my house."

"It looks very old," Luna said thoughtfully, looking up at it.

"It belonged to my grandfather," Tyr replied. "He passed away years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago. Scars heal y'know?" He smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Luna was silent for a while longer. Before long, she glanced down at the warming soda in her hands and nodded to herself. "Well, you have a good evening, Tyr."

"You don't need me to walk you home?"

Luna laughed. "The night is my domain, in this world as well as mine. I will be safe. I'm not living too far from here."

"Ah… I see."

"Get home safely, Tyr."

"You as well, Luna."

They parted ways, and Tyr reentered his home. He found Sherry asleep on the couch in front of the TV. A television drama was playing, some sappy romance one. 'Is it really past nine?' he thought to himself. He deposited the apple juice in the fridge, and then came back to the living room. He scooped Sherry up into his arms and carried her upstairs. He laid her in bed and pulled the covers over her, and with a gentle touch, stroked her hair comfortingly before leaving. 'Guess I'll go to sleep too,' He figured, going out and into his own room. He undressed and put on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt before climbing into his own bed. As he drifted off to sleep, the image of Luna watching the moon rise and fall imprinted itself onto his mind.


	2. Chapter 1 To Fix What Ails You

Chapter 1: To Fix What Ails You

Tyr stretched his legs as he awoke. He felt something on his arm so he glanced over to find Sherry curled up beside him. She was sleeping peacefully. "Guess it's still too much for you to sleep alone yet, huh?" He murmured, stroking her hair. She nuzzled up closer to him. After a minute, her eyes slowly opened. She blinked a couple of times before realizing where she was.

"…Ah! Tyr, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…!" She sat up quickly, but Tyr put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You're welcome to sleep here whenever you want, Sherry. I don't mind at all. In fact, it made me happy." He smiled. "It means you're starting to trust me."

Sherry blushed again, but didn't move. Tyr finally sat up, and suddenly was being hugged by his adoptive daughter. "You've been so great to me, Tyr," Sherry said, sniffing.

Tyr smiled and hugged her back. "Of course. Now, you want breakfast?"

"Yes please!"

They both climbed out of bed, Sherry going into her room to change. As she left, the back of her shirt slid down, revealing the twin cinnamon sticks emblazoned on the back of her shoulder blade. Cutie Marks, Tyr thought. They were supposedly the mark that residents of Equestria gained when they realized their true destiny. Wonder what I would have had, he thought to himself. Tyr threw on some jeans and headed downstairs. As he came down, he saw Sherry nose deep in a book. "Almost finished with that one?" He asked, going into the kitchen and getting some eggs. Because no one from Equestria ate meat, he had stocked up on a lot of non-meat foods. He didn't mind, however. He didn't eat a lot of meat anyway.

"Almost. I may have to go ask Ms. Twilight for another book."

"We can go together later. I find myself in need of a new book myself."

"Yay!" Sherry beamed with joy. Tyr found himself smiling as well. Sherry's appetite for reading was endearing. He quickly prepared a breakfast of toast and eggs before pouring himself a cup of coffee and Sherry a glass of apple juice. The two sat down together and enjoyed the meal. "You don't have any repairs to do today?" Sherry asked.

"Just a couple repairs. Apparently the oven at the bakery broke down during one of their rush orders, and they asked if I could come over and check it out. Plus, the boutique needs another sewing machine fixed."

Sherry's eye widened. "The bakery? Oh no, that means no sweets."

"Lord knows I know how you like your sugar." He grinned. "We'll go to the library after."

"Kay~"

"So, head on up and get dressed. I'll drop you off at Sweet Apple Acres so you don't have to sit through me working."

"Okay." Sherry made her way upstairs. Tyr followed, going into his own room to get dressed. He figured he would be fine just with his usual jacket, a long sleeved shirt, and his cargo jeans. He spied a hole in the center of one pocket. He had had the pants for a long time, and the wear was beginning to show. "Guess I'll have to get new ones…" He muttered, grabbing his backpack full of tools.

He was gathering up his tools when Sherry came out of her room. She was wearing a simple brown blouse and reddish skirt, with her hair braided. She smiled at Tyr. "Do I look okay?"

"Goodness girl, are you planning on going out on a date?"

"A d-date?" She blushed. "N-no, I'm not…"

Tyr laughed. "I'm just teasing. You look nice."

"T-thanks…"

"Come on Sherry. We should get going before the Cakes send someone to get me."

"Kay!" She grabbed a coat and headed outside. Tyr followed behind and once outside locked the door. The two of them made their way outside to where Tyr kept his motorcycle. The classic motorcycle had been a late birthday gift from his biker uncle, and Tyr had fallen in love with it immediately. He strapped his toolbox to the back and climbed on, while Sherry jumped into the sidecar. They put on a pair of helmets. With a twist of his wrist, they were off. Scenery shot past as they zoomed down the streets. Tyr loved riding his motorcycle, and Sherry did too. He had thought about getting a car, but he had never needed one. Probably wouldn't need one as long as it was just him and Sherry. It wasn't long before Candy Cane Corner came into view. The unassuming building was decorated with muffin and cake designs, and as far as Tyr knew had come over during the Merge. Having a cake shop suddenly spring up in the middle of town hadn't really bothered anybody though. He spotted Mrs. Cake, the proprietress of the store, outside adjusting a sign. She looked over and spotted him as he pulled in.

"Ah, Tyr! So good of you to come!" She said as he got off his bike. He helped Sherry out of the sidecar before addressing the woman.

"Hello Mrs. Cake. So what exactly is the problem?"

Mrs. Cake frowned and motioned them inside. "It happened yesterday. Like I said over the phone, we were doing a mass order, and… well…"

"It exploded!" A mass of pink hair suddenly appeared behind the counter. From his previous visits, Tyr quickly identified the bright and cheery embodiment of laughter as Pinkie Pie, the Cake's pseudo apprentice. Her bouncing, curly pink hair and tail were as haphazard as her actions, but the huge grin on her face was pure and infectious. "It was belching smoke like a dragon after a full meal!"

Tyr wondered how much smoke a dragon could cough up for only a moment before Pinkie switched targets. "Sherry!"

Sherry jumped at the sound of Pinkie's voice. "Um… Hi Pinkie Pie…"

Much like Sherry, Pinkie and the Cakes were all from Equestria. Sherry had been interested in making baked treats, so naturally she had spent some time with them. "Well, how are you, silly-billy?" Pinkie snatched up Sherry in a tight hug. "You seem really happy!"

"Must be Tyr's influence," Mr. Cake said, coming from the back room. He coughed a little.

Tyr smiled and scratched the back of his neck. "I do my best. I'm just glad she doesn't have as much energy as Pinkie."

"Oh dear," Mrs. Cake murmured, imagining it. "We don't want to have another incident like _that_ , do we?"

Tyr considered asking what she meant for a moment, before deciding against it. "So, where's this oven-dragon?"

"Follow me," Mr. Cake said. "It's settled down for now, but without it we will be severely behind in our work."

"No worries," Tyr said. He grinned. "I'll slay this dragon for you."

"Wow, Tyr, you're amazing!" Pinkie exclaimed. "You're really good with stuff like this, huh?"

"I've been fixing things since I was small," Tyr admitted.

"I guess if you had been a pony in Equestria, you would've had a wrench or something as your Cutie Mark!"

"Heh, maybe." Tyr glanced around to find Sherry standing behind him, a wet towel in her hands.

"Um… here, Tyr. You've got… gunk on your hands." She said timidly.

"Thanks Sherry." He took the towel and cleaned off his hands.

"So, where are you two gonna go now?" Pinkie asked. "Huh? Huh?"

"We're headed over to the library now."

"Ooh, to see Twilight?"

"Sherry wants some more books to read," Tyr corrected. "I happen to be an avid reader as well."

"Aw…"

"Wait, why are you upset?"

"Tyr," Sherry said quietly. "Are you done?"

"Yeah, we can go."

"Oh wait!" Pinkie suddenly zipped off. She returned a moment later with a box. "Can you take this over to Twilight?"

"Is this… a cake?"

"Yeah! I promised Twilight I'd get her and Miss Johnson a cake today!" She smiled. "Since you're going over there anyway, could you take it?"

"Don't mind one bit. Sherry, you mind holding it?"

Sherry nodded and took the cake from Pinkie. "I'll take good care of it."

Tyr, Sherry, and Pinkie came out from the back. The Cakes paid Tyr, a little more than he normally asked for, but refused to let him refuse. He and Sherry left with a cake, a bag of muffins, and a pair of happy smiles. It was another few minutes of driving before they pulled up in front of Oak Library, a regal old building with tree motifs all along it. Sherry almost skipped up to the door. "Someone's excited," Tyr murmured to himself with a small laugh.

They entered, and Sherry immediately made her way over to the main desk. "Hello, Miss Twilight!" She said happily.

"Hello Sherry!" The purple haired librarian said. Her hair was a deep violet with pink highlights, and her eyes were purple as well. Tyr had always thought the librarian was attractive, slender yet womanly, but they were friends. The actual person that caught Tyr's attention was—

"Luna," He said in a bit of surprise.

The midnight haired girl looked up from her book at the sound of her name. "Tyr. I had not thought to meet you here."

"You know him, Princess… er, Luna?" Twilight said, surprised.

"We met while I was out buying a drink," Luna said. "Tyr… helped me."

"How is living in that apartment going?" Twilight asked. "I forgot to ask."

"It's… different." Luna said, closing her book. "Although Tia sends me money, I still found I needed employment."

"Tia?" Tyr asked.

"My older sister, Celestia. She's working with the Equestrian Diplomatic Effort."

Tyr thought for a moment. After joining worlds, a lot of distrust was held between the Humans and former Ponies. The leading figures of Equestria were working with the local government to… smooth out the transition. "I didn't know you lived alone," He said to Luna.

"It is… comfortable."

"I still don't think it's safe," Twilight said.

"I can handle myself," Luna said sharply. Twilight held up her hands in appeasement.

Tyr laughed softly as he set Pinkie's cake on a nearby table. "If I had known, I would have walked you home. It's dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night."

"I told you before—"

"I know, 'the night is my domain'," Tyr said. "But if something happened, no one would know."

"I… suppose that is true."

"What do you do for fun at home anyway, Luna?" Twilight asked, setting her glasses aside.

"I… read. And watch the television." Luna blushed slightly and looked down.

"I see." Twilight giggled softly. "Not very active, are you?"

"You're one to talk." A young man with spiked green hair said, entering the room. He walked alongside an older woman carrying a clipboard.

"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed. "Done organizing the back room?"

"Of course," Spike said with a grin. "Ms. Johnson helped me."

"Spike did most of it on his own," Ms. Johnson said. "I only helped with the older texts."

"And I was saying that you do exactly what Luna does," Spike said with a laugh. "You spend almost all of your time reading!"

Twilight blushed, and Luna and Tyr started laughing. "W-well, what do you do in your spare time?" Twilight demanded of Tyr.

He was momentarily taken aback. "Me? Well, besides reading, Sherry and I like to play video games together."

Luna's face picked up. "Video games? What are those?"

"I'm guessing you didn't have them in Equestria," Tyr said. "They're games we play on the TV, with controllers and consoles and stuff."

Luna's eyes sparkled. "Playing games on the television?

"And on computers if you had one."

"I would like to play one of these… video games," Luna said.

"Well, Sherry and I don't mind having another person to play with," Tyr said with a smile. "Come by around seven."

"Hey, Tyr," Sherry came over, a thick book in her arms. "If Luna is coming over, can I invite the Crusaders?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, or Crusaders as most people called them, were a trio of young Equestrian girls who in their world were searching for their purpose in life. It was still true, but they had added to their number, primarily Sherry. Tyr smiled. "Course. But only if their sisters agree to it."

"Yay!"

"You make a good father," Twilight said with a small laugh while she checked out Sherry's book.

"Tyr is very nice to me," Sherry said with a blush. "I lov—um, I like being with him."

Twilight patted her head. "Enjoy the books, Sherry."

Sherry smiled and nodded vigorously. "We'll be on our way. See you around, Twilight," Tyr said. "Goodbye, Luna."

"See ya!" Twilight said.

"Enjoy your day," Luna said.

Tyr led Sherry out of the library. "Twilight is really nice," Sherry said, getting into the motorcycle's sidecar. She slipped on her helmet.

"Yeah, she's got a gentle heart." Tyr agreed, getting on. After putting on his helmet, they took off.

"Do you like her?"

The question caught Tyr off guard. "And why would you ask that?"

"Just curious," She said with a giggle.

"Well, to answer your question, no, I'm not interested in Twilight like that."

"Aw."

"Aw? You sound disappointed."

"I just… want you to be happy."

Tyr felt a small pang of love for the young girl beside him. "Sherry, I… I don't have to have a girlfriend or anything to be happy. You make me happy, silly."

"I… I do?"

"Yes. And as much as I'd like to find love, having you with me makes me happy."

Sherry blushed furiously, thankful that the helmet she wore obscured her face. "Thank you," She mumbled. And just a bit quieter, added "Dad."

The rest of the ride to Sweet Apple Acres was silent. As the farm came into view, Tyr had to pause his swirling thoughts in order to fully appreciate the view. An apple orchard stretched almost as far as the eye could see, with apple trees of almost every variety lined up in organized rows. As they got closer, they could see a young blonde girl working. As he pulled up in front of the main house, she came jogging over. "Howdy Tyr. I'm guessin you dropping Sherry off?" Her southern accent was pleasant to the ear, and brought a smile to Tyr's face.

"Yo, Applejack. Yeah, I gotta go help at the boutique."

"Ah, I see. Well, get along, Sherry, the girls are waitin' on ya."

"Kay." Sherry started heading off, but stopped and turned back. "…See you later, Tyr."

"Have fun," Tyr told her. She smiled, nodded, and took off.

"She's a good kid," Applejack said. She took off her Stetson, a hat Tyr never saw her without, and wiped her forehead. She was a pretty girl, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and a tail to match. Her cheery face had a few freckles scattered across it, and she had an easy, friendly smile. "You're bringing her up right, Tyr."

"Thanks AJ. I'll be back to get her around six." Tyr thought for a moment. "Speaking of which, do you need Applebloom this afternoon?"

"Probs not, why are ya asking?"

"Sherry wanted to have a game night with the girls. That alright with you?"

"I don't rightly mind," Applejack said. "I'm sure Sherry will tell her, so I'll just send her on her way."

"Alright, that sounds good."

"Well, don't let me keep you. Head on over to Rarity's."

"Yeah, you've got a lot of work to do too, huh?"

"No worries about me." AJ grinned. "I'm a working girl. I can handle it."

"I wouldn't put it past you. Don't work too hard!" He said as he sped away. As he drove, he felt a little lonely now that Sherry wasn't riding with him. But he'd see her much later anyways, so he perked up a bit. He pulled up in front of the boutique and shut off the engine. A sweet voice called him from above.

"Oh, my darling Tyr! My knight in shining armor!"

"Hello Rarity," Tyr said with a small smile, seeing the purple haired model leaning out of the second floor window. Her perfect marble like skin and well treated hair made her glitter in the sunlight. "You look amazing as always."

"Oh why thank you dear. But do come in, I need this sewing machine fixed as quickly as possible!"

She slipped back inside as Tyr entered the bottom floor of Rarity's boutique. He glanced up at the sign that read 'Carousel Boutique' as he came out into the showroom floor. Dresses and suits of all kinds and colors lined the walls, elegantly made and designed. Since he wasn't into dressy clothes that much, he ignored them and went upstairs. Rarity was waiting for him beside a sewing machine plaintively running its motor. "What seems to be the issue?"

"It's been making that dreadful noise every time I start it up," she complained, which due to her proper accent, sounded elegant. She was a beautiful woman, Tyr realized. Well, with that much time spent on appearance, he wasn't surprised.

"Give me a minute," Tyr said, turning the machine off. He opened the outside of the machine to get a look at the interior. He pulled out a few tools and began working.

"You really know what you're doing, don't you?" Rarity said with a bit of wonder. "My, you are good with your hands…"

"Um… Rarity?"

"Yes dear? Oh! I meant nothing by that."

"If you say so."

"On that note, do you have yourself a special someone?" Rarity asked, sitting in a nearby chair.

"Me? I'm too boring."

"I highly doubt that, darling. You are a very smart and dare I say—handsome—individual. I would believe many a girl would be after you. Human or Equestrian, for that matter."

Tyr paused in his work. He decided to throw a little teasing back her way. "And what about you Rarity? Interested in me?"

Rarity looked surprised. "I… I am not. I am not ashamed to say you are handsome, but I am not interested in you that way. I am flattered you'd consider."

"So what kind of guy are you interested in?"

"Does it have to be a man?" Rarity murmured, just softly enough for Tyr to not hear.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. Is it fixed? I have quite a few orders waiting."

"Just a little bit more… there." Tyr replaced everything and turned it on. The motor purred softly. "Perfect."

"You are just a lifesaver, Tyr!" Rarity smiled widely. "Now, how much do I owe you?"

"It's no problem Rarity, I just like to help."

"That will not do! I'm the Element of Generosity, just let me pay you."

"Rarity… sigh. Fine."

"Here!" Rarity quickly wrote a check for a hundred and fifty dollars. "That should cover it."

"…Thanks, Rarity."

"Now, I know this may sound rude but, get out. I have a LOT of work to do."

Tyr simply smiled and let himself be pushed towards the stairs. "By the by, Rarity, Sherry wanted to hang out with her friends tonight. You mind if I take Sweetie Bell off your hands?"

"Not at all! She rather enjoys playing with Sherry, so that is fine with me."

"Alright, I'll get out of your hair. See you around."

Tyr was only a few steps out of the boutique when suddenly he heard a curse. "Oh, damn it!"

A short way away from the boutique's front doors was a rainbow haired young woman standing over a bike with no handlebars. Well, not exactly, as the girl was holding them. "What happened?"

"I was biking my normal route and they just came off!" She tossed the broken handles onto the ground in anger.

"I can take a look, if you like."

The girl turned at his offer, sky blue eyes fixing him with a smooth glare. "You serious?"

"Yeah, I'm a sorta repairman around town." He knelt down and picked up the handlebars. The girl brushed her short hair out of her face and moved over to get a good look at what he was doing.

"That means, you're Tyr, right?" The girl grinned. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I haven't had the same pleasure. I don't even know your name."

"Oh, that's right." She grinned. "I'm Rainbow Dash, future Equestrian Olympic Athlete!"

"Olympic, huh? You good on this thing?"

"Fastest alive! I was faster in Equestria, when I had my wings."

"You were a Pegasus then?"

"Yeah, I was… hold up. You know about Equestria?"

"I adopted an Earth Pony. Her name is Sherry Spice."

"Never met her. Anyway, got my handles fixed?"

"Yeah, but you should get some specialty racing handles. They do better under racing stress."

"Thanks bro!" Rainbow jumped up on her bike and without another word, sped away.

"She moves at her own pace," Tyr murmured to himself. "Well, best gather up some snacks or something for the girls… Ah crap, I have to tidy up before Luna gets there, and from what I know of her, she's bound to get there _early_ …"

"Wow Sherry, your house is big!" Scootaloo cried, running into the house. The purple haired girl was one of the three Crusaders, and Sherry's friend. The other two, a redheaded girl and one with purple hair highlighted with pink, watched their energetic friend run around.

"Slow down already Scoots," the redhead snapped.

"Applebloom is quite right," The other girl said. "You can't just be running around like that."

"Whatever Sweetie Bell," Scootaloo said with a roll of her eyes.

"Come on girls, we can go into the game room," Sherry said, trying to lead the group. "It's upstairs, just follow—"

Scootaloo was already upstairs before Sherry finished speaking. "That girl," Sweetie Bell murmured.

"Don't pay her no mind," Applebloom said, putting a hand on Sherry's shoulder. For a farm girl that young, she was still almost taller than Sherry. "She's just excited, that's all."

Sherry nodded. "Well, come on. She might have found it already."

The three of them went upstairs. Tyr glanced out of the open door, seeing Applejack in her family's van. "Thanks for bringing them," He said.

"No big deal," she said smiling. "I know you can't just up and carry four girls on that bike of yours."

"Yeah, I was dreading having to try."

"Well, the girls have everything they need. Take care of them, okay?"

"Gotcha."

Applejack gave him one last wave before driving off. "Well, guess I have to be a host now, huh…"

"We have arrived, Tyr." A voice declared proudly.

"Gah!" The sudden appearance of a particular night-haired girl startled him. "Luna! When did you get here?"

"Just as Applejack delivered the girls. Are we too early?"

"No, no, I was expecting you to be early, but… wait, you keep saying 'we'."

"Oh? That is… my apologies; I was so used to using royal language back home."

Tyr stepped aside to let Luna in. She looked around the ground floor of the house with unveiled interest. "Just make yourself at home. If you want, you can go up to where the girls are."

"What are you doing down here?"

"Putting stuff away." Tyr motioned to the grocery bags sitting on the kitchen counter. "I bought some stuff earlier today."

"…Would you require any help?"

"I think I can handle it. Go on up, Sherry was looking forward to you coming."

"I understand. I will do so." With that, Luna went upstairs. Tyr felt his own gaze lingering on her as she walked, so he forcefully looked elsewhere.

"What am I doing?" He murmured. "I'm stealing glances at Luna. I'm crazy."

"Tyr, where do we keep the shooting games?" Sherry called.

"They should be in the blue CD case," He replied. A few moments later, he heard the familiar sounds of a Call of Duty game starting up. "Guess she found them."

He finished up downstairs quickly and headed upstairs. Despite his usual reserved feelings towards spending money, he had splurged a bit and built himself a sound proof gaming room. It had two TVs, in case he and Sherry wanted to play online with each other, two PS3's, and a computer on the far wall. There were also two couches and a few folds out chairs. As he entered the room, a disheartened cry came from Scootaloo. "You killed me again, Sherry!"

"You were running around out in the open," Applebloom admonished. "The first thing Sherry told us was not to do that."

"Sorry Scoots," Sherry said, giggling.

As the four Crusaders were sharing one couch, Tyr plopped himself down on the other, Luna sliding over a bit to give him room. Otherwise, the midnight girl was watching the girls play with rapt attention. Tyr glanced at the scores quickly. Sherry was quickly outclassing the others, as she knew the game pretty well. However, to his surprise, Sweetie Bell was keeping close in score. Scootaloo was at the bottom, although Applebloom was not much better off. "You caught on, Sweetie," Tyr said.

"She figured out how to snipe," Sherry said, sucking her teeth as Sweetie killed her with a headshot.

"When you spend all your time sewing and doing precise stuff, this is easy!" Sweetie said proudly.

"I'm still getting the controls," Applebloom said with a sigh.

"Sherry and Sweetie keep killing me!" Scootaloo cried.

"Just slow down," Sherry advised.

Tyr nudged Luna. "Hey. Want to play?"

"Can I?" She replied instantly. "Oh, but that would mean one of the girls would have to stop playing…"

"No, we can set up a larger game. Sherry, we need to set up everything."

"Okay!"

Before long, the two PS3's had been linked into making a six person lobby, with three people playing on each. "This is impressive," Luna murmured, looking over the controller. Sherry had given her a rundown on how the controls worked, and Luna seemed to have taken everything in.

"So, are we going to play on teams or not?" Tyr asked.

"We should!" Scootaloo said. "Four on two!"

Applebloom face palmed. "Scoots, how is that fair? Luna doesn't know how to play—"

"We accept!" Luna said proudly.

Before Tyr could say anything else, the game had started. "Well then." He began to do as he normally did, checking corners quickly as he moved through the map. Before long, he noticed someone running full tilt down the street. Without thinking, he popped off a perfect headshot.

"Ah!" Scootaloo complained. "Tyr killed me!"

"I told you not to run out in the open," Sherry sighed.

Luna sucked her teeth, falling prey to both Applebloom and Sherry. Tyr mentally marked the position she died at on his map, and dropped to a crawl facing a doorway. Sure enough, someone wandered in. For their troubles, they got several new holes in their chest. "I always forget to check the floor," Sherry sighed. Tyr popped his character up and sprinted across the short street into another house.

"I saw you!" Scootaloo said eagerly. Tyr dropped a grenade at his feet as he ran for new cover. The explosion caught the eager girl as she chased after him. "Hey. No fair!"

"Too early," Sweetie said with a frown, as a shot impacted the wall in front of Tyr.

"Luna, where are you?" Tyr asked.

"I was figuring out the map," Luna said proudly, gunning down Applebloom. "And now that I know, the fun has been doubled."

Tyr popped his character out for a split second, drawing another shot from Sweetie. Half a second, he thought, gunning forward. He made it into a better obscured spot as another shot thudded into where he had been. "Bolt-action," He said with a smile.

"Ah! Luna!" Sweetie cried, as Luna had snuck up on her and stabbed her in the back. "Where did you come from?"

"You have to be careful for stuff like that," Sherry said, just barely surviving an encounter with Tyr. She sighed as she walked into a landmine. "Tyr, you're too good at this."

"I've had this game for ages dear," He said with a laugh, rushing Applebloom and Scootaloo for another two kills.

The game continued for another hour, before Tyr glanced over and saw Sherry discreetly massage her stomach. "Hungry?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I'll go make us a pizza."

"Make…? You aren't going to order one?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"No, I have all the ingredients on hand. Plus, I like to cook. "It'll be a little bit, so you guys can keep playing."

"Do you need any help?" Sherry asked.

"No, I can handle it. Have fun with your friends."

Tyr headed downstairs and into the kitchen. He quickly retrieved what he needed from the pantry, and set to work. It had been a while since he had made his own pizza, but the time spent in his uncle's pizzeria came back to him quickly. Like riding a bike, he thought with a laugh. He was smoothing out the tomato sauce onto the crust when soft footsteps alerted him to someone approaching. It was Luna.

"Needed something?" Tyr asked.

"I was interested in what making a pizza looked like." Luna took a seat at the counter.

"I had thought you'd be too interested in the game," Tyr laughed, reaching into a nearby bag for a handful of shredded cheese. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"It was quite fun," Luna admitted. "But… my curiosity got the better of me."

Tyr simply nodded, content to let her have her way. He quietly continued preparing the pizza. Since he knew Sherry and the others didn't eat meat, he simply layered on extra cheese before sliding it into the oven. "That's that." He turned to find Luna watching him intently. "Um… what's up?"

"You are a strange man," She said suddenly.

"Why do you say that?"

"You are a man who willingly took in a girl you hardly know, on top of being from another world. You treat her like your own kin, and it is quite obvious you care deeply about her."

Tyr was silent for a moment. "Is it that strange?"

"Upon our arrival in this world, we were beset by many different kinds of people, some understanding, others… distrustful." Luna's face screwed up at an unpleasant memory. "At the time, I believe the only people we could truly trust were our own kind. Yet as I watch you… Young Sherry Spice seems to trust you explicitly."

"I would hope so," Tyr said with a chuckle, but Luna's gaze was still serious.

"I want to know about you, Tyr. Why are you so kind?"

"It was drilled into me by my grandfather," Tyr admitted. He fell silent for a moment before continuing. "He raised me after my parents… passed away."

Luna blinked, realizing she had touched on a sensitive subject. "I apologize Tyr, I was unaware…"

"It's fine. It's not particularly something I'm trying to keep a secret." He smiled a bit, hoping to reassure her. "This house felt empty once he was gone. So, when I heard about the… merge, I guess, I met Sherry." Tyr glanced over at the oven, checking the time. "She was alone… much like I had been. So I took her in. And I've grown… attached to her."

"Tyr…"

Tyr laughed suddenly. "Who am I kidding? That girl is as important to me as my own life. I love her. I want to keep her safe and happy. I just… want to be…"

"Dad."

Tyr and Luna froze up. Tyr's eyes glanced past Luna to see Sherry standing at the foot of the stairs. He took a long, ragged breath. "Sherry?"

"I've been wanted to call you that for a long time," Sherry admitted, rubbing at her eyes. "I um… Didn't know how you'd feel about it…"

Tyr motioned for her to come over. She did, and he immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. "You mean it? You'd be fine calling me that?"

"You're my dad now, right?" Sherry said, hugging him back. "It's only fair… right?"

"Right."

Neither noticed Luna slip back upstairs, a small smile on her face. Tyr was a gentle, and honest person, she surmised. He and Sherry would be happy together.


	3. Chapter 2: Culture Clash

Chapter 2: Culture Clash

"You want to _what_?" Tyr asked, poking his head out from inside the large copying machine the library used. His question was directed at Twilight, who was studying a large book on a nearby table.

"I said, I would like to go to a bar tonight," She repeated, adjusting her glasses as she looked up at him. "Is that such a strange thing?"

"No, just… Have you ever been to a bar, Twilight?"

"No. I overheard some people the other day saying they had a fun time at one. I decided it would be a good experience."

Tyr scratched at his head. "I suppose that could be true. You're not going alone, are you?"

"Should I?"

"Whenever a woman goes to a bar, they normally go with friends."

"I suppose that is true. Sharing the experience would be good."

"I was thinking more for safety."

"Safety?" Tyr mentally face palmed.

"Yes, safety." He sat up, setting aside a piece of machinery he was vaguely aware of its use. "Did you not have crime in Equestria?"

"We did, but… It wasn't a whole lot. What danger could I be in?"

"Well, you could be robbed, for one. Someone could try to kill you. Or… worse."

"Worse? What could be worse than murder?"

"Well…" Tyr felt a little uncomfortable. "I… it's probably better you take a group with you."

"Hm. I guess I could get the girls together to go…"

"Good." Tyr sighed in relief. Twilight seemed like a sheltered girl at times, with her innocent knowledge of human behavior. At least he had convinced her to take friends… He moved back into the innards of the copy machine. He slid the removed part back inside, and clicked a switch. Nothing.

"Would you go if I asked?"

Tyr tried to sit up in shock, but only managed to bang his head against the inside of the machine. To his surprise, it kick started and began to work. "The hell…? But back to your question, Twilight. Why would you invite me? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't fit in a group full of girls…"

"You're familiar with bars, aren't you?"

Tyr bit his lip. "I have… been to a couple."

"Then you'd be able to tell us what to watch out for!"

Her logic was sound. Tyr didn't have the heart to tell her he hadn't gone to a bar since his twenty-sixth birthday. After drinking enough to forget his own name, he had vowed to drink as little as possible. "I… guess. If you clear it with your friends."

"That's easy." Twilight pulled out a lavender cell phone with a single star etched on the back. She opened it, quickly typed in a message, and sent it. "Human technology is so amazing," She said with a smile.

"Yeah… well, this old brute is alive and kicking." He straightened up. "You may want to try and convince Mrs. Johnson to get a new one.

"When it broke down last week I suggested it," Spike muttered from a nearby aisle. He was busy replacing returned books. "She said no."

"Well, I may not be able to fix it next time," Tyr muttered, rubbing his forehead.

Twilight's phone jingled. "Ah, there's a reply." She snapped open her phone and stared intently at it. "Well, everyone seems in agreement," She said triumphantly.

Tyr dreaded what came next, but asked anyway. "…The verdict?"

Twilight laughed softly, covering her mouth. "You sound like you're on trial. The girls said it's fine if you come. Rarity seemed relieved to hear you'd be coming."

Tyr had made himself extremely available to his town's new residents over the last couple of months. There was almost not a day when he was asked to repair, replace, or just help out. He didn't mind, being busy meant he was getting paid. He was still getting to spend time with Sherry, and even when he didn't, Luna usually came over to play with her. Thinking of that… He pulled out his cell phone and sent off a quick text to Luna.

-Twilight needs me this evening, can you watch Sherry?

"Who are you texting?" Spike asked, suddenly beside him. The shock of his appearance made Tyr answer completely truthfully.

"Luna."

The look of shock that went over Spike and Twilight's faces mirror the look of regret that crossed over his own. "You have Luna's cell number?" Twilight asked slowly.

"…Yes. I ask her to watch Sherry sometimes when I have late jobs. She likes playing video games with Sherry anyway…"

"I see…"

The sound of a reply message gave Tyr a sense of relief. However, that was crushed as soon as he read the message. –I apologize, but I have other matters to attend to tonight. As much as I would love to play Destiny with Sherry, I cannot. "Damn," Tyr said.

"No date?" Spike teased.

"Ha ha. Luna says she's busy tonight. I don't want to leave Sherry alone…"

"I believe I can fix that," Twilight said with a smile.

"I'm staying with Applebloom tonight?" Sherry asked, once Tyr had explained most of everything to her.

"Yeah, Twilight needs me for a… culture experiment," Tyr said. "You'll be alright?"

"I could stay here," She offered. "I'm not that young, and it's only for tonight."

"Sherry…" Tyr smiled and put a hand on her head. "It's not that I think you can't handle it. I just… worry."

Sherry sighed, but acquiesced. "Okay daddy."

Tyr felt a tug at his heart. "Jeez, you think I'd be used to that by now."

She giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!"

"Agh! Stop! You're killing me with cuteness!"

Sherry continued attacking him for a moment longer before releasing him. "Well, have fun at… whatever you're doing."

"Yeah, hopefully." Tyr glanced at the clock. Applejack had said her brother Big McIntosh would be by to get Sherry, but the time for him to meet the girls was getting close. "Hm…"

"Just go!" Sherry smiled. "I think I can handle being alone for a little while."

"You sure? Not going to burn down the house or anything?"

"Oh stop! Just leave already!" She pushed him towards the front door.

"Okay, okay, just… call me when you get there?"

"I should be telling you that!" Sherry giggled. "Now, out with you!"

Tyr smiled as she closed the door behind him. "Girl is starting to act like my mother," He joked to himself. With a final shrug of his shoulders, he hopped onto his bike and sped off into the setting sun. Twilight, ever eager for more people to text, had demanded his number before he left the library. She had given him the name of the bar they were to meet at; Eclipse. "Seems like a… interesting place."

It was rounding on seven when he made it. The bar was a bit secluded downtown, situated between two tall buildings. The sign was bright however, with red neon signs with pitch black cores that simulated an actual eclipse. He spotted Twilight's telltale lavender hair from a distance. Much to his surprise, she was wearing more casual clothing, a bright pink blouse with a darker violet skirt. She smiled as he pulled in. "You made it!" She said as he pulled off his helmet.

"Wasn't the hardest place to find," He said, hooking his helmet to his bike. "The others are already here?"

"Yeah, they're inside. We got a booth and everything!"

Twilight grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Before he could protest, they were moving through the throng of dancing people. This was more of a club than a bar, Tyr thought to himself. A few glances were shot his way, but otherwise the occurrence went completely unnoticed. He fell into a comfy booth seat as Twilight squeezed in beside him. "I found him, girls!" She said triumphantly.

"Bout time you showed up, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Was starting to get mighty thirsty."

"Couldn't you have gotten here faster?" Rainbow snapped.

"Now Dash, you have to give the man some slack," Rarity came to his rescue. "He does have a young filly-er, girl to take care of."

"Here I was thinking I was early," He said, smiling. He glanced around, noticing a distinct lack of pink. "…No Pinkie?"

"She's dancing," a soft voice said from his other side. He glanced over to find a very attractive girl with long silky pink hair draped over one side of her face looking over at him. She smiled nervously. "Oh, sorry for startling you…"

"No it's fine." Tyr racked his brain for her name. "Um… have we met?"

"I work at the veterinarian," She murmured.

"I've gone by there a couple times to repair things. I don't think I've ever seen you."

"Um… I um… I hide." She seemed to shrink a little bit.

"Fluttershy is the biggest scaredy-cat ever!" Dash said, throwing her arm around the shy girl. "I mean, it's even in her name!"

Tyr put on a gentle smile. "I'm Tyr. It's nice to meet you, Fluttershy."

"Likewise," Fluttershy managed to squeak, just before Dash pulled her away.

"This place is so… alive!" Rarity murmured. "The music however is… something I could do without."

"Pinkie seems to be enjoying herself," Applejack said, pointing. Tyr followed her hand and spotted the pink ball of energy laughing, dancing and just having fun.

"I'm not surprised. Going to a club is just like going to a party." Tyr glanced around. "You haven't ordered anything?"

"Twilight said we should wait for you," Fluttershy said, finally breaking free of Dash. "Rarity agreed."

"Didn't feel right to start without ya," Applejack said.

"I can go order some drinks for us," Tyr offered.

"Oh would you?" Rarity asked. "That would be wonderful, darling."

Twilight moved so Tyr could get out. "You guys planning on drinking anything alcoholic?"

"Whatever you think we would like," Twilight told him.

Taking that in mind, Tyr moved out into the crowd. He had to fight a bit, so he had time to think. Applejack was a hard worker, so nothing too sweet. Rarity would like something refined, and Twilight would want something interesting. Dash would probably drink anything, he thought. And Fluttershy… he didn't know. Probably nothing too strong. She looks delicate like a butterfly. He made it too the bar in one piece. "Probably should get Pinkie something too. She'll be thirsty after all the dancing." He knocked on the bar to get the bartender's attention.

"Hello. What would you like to drink, sir—Tyr?"

Tyr jumped at the sound of his name. He turned and found himself staring into a pair of big, cerulean eyes. "…Luna?"

"I… I had not thought to see you here." Luna nervously ran a hand through her hair. "Do you… come here often?"

"No, Twi… a friend invited me. I didn't know you worked here." A bartender outfit looked cute on her, he noted.

"I started not too long ago." Luna glanced past him. "…I see you came with Twilight and her friends."

Tyr sighed. "I was invited as… someone who was familiar with this sort of environment."

"Familiar?"

"I've been to bars and clubs before in the past."

Luna took in the information. "Tyr."

"Yes, Luna?"

"If you can forgive me for not telling you my reasons for denying your request tonight, I will forgive you for not telling me you came with Twilight."

"…fair." Tyr agreed.

"So!" Luna did her best to sound bright and cheery. "What can I get you?"

Tyr returned with the drinks. "Sorry for the wait, I had to avoid a bunch of people to get here."

"I saw," Rarity said with a sparkle in her eye. "A few women were in that bunch."

"You were getting hit on?" Dash asked. "Well, I guess you're not bad looking."

"Yeah, whatever," Tyr said. "I try to avoid girls I meet in places like this. Most are usually drunk."

At the thought of drinking, they all remembered their drinks. Tyr was happy to realize he guessed everyone's preferences right. "This is actually good," Twilight murmured.

"I kinda guessed at what you'd like to drink," Tyr said with a shrug. "Hope I didn't upset anyone."

"Well, it's a first for me," Twilight assured him.

"I don't drink often enough to have a preference," AJ admitted.

Tyr sipped at his own drink, a simple ginger ale. "This is absolutely marvelous, darling," Rarity said. "You are quite the competent man."

"I get suspicious whenever you compliment me," He replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Like I said, I noticed a lot of women casting some… forlorn gazes after you. Any catch your eye?" She leaned in conspiratorially.

"A few," Tyr told a half truth. "But like I said, I don't pick up drunk chicks."

"Guess I better start drinking," Dash said with a laugh. Tyr shot her a glare, but didn't bite the bait. AJ defended him in his stead.

"Not nice, Rainbow."

"What? I was joking. But not about the drinking part."

It was something Tyr hadn't experienced in a long time. Drinking with friends. The six girls were a lot of fun, he had to admit. Pinkie dropped in and out as time went on, alternating between hanging out at the table and dancing wildly. At one point, he found himself being dragged along. And then he was lost. "Oh great," He sighed, stuck on the other side of the club. It wasn't a huge distance to the table, but a crowd isolated him through sheer mass of bodies. A few Equestrian girls took him off to the side, engaging in some small talk. One of them, a peppy silver haired one, seemed to be interested in him, but he couldn't particularly say the same. Suddenly, Pinkie was back at his side.

"Tyr! I lost you!"

"You… Lost me?"

"Yeah! We were dancing, and then I looked, and then you were gone! I wasn't worried, but it was surprising you managed to sneak away from me."

"Sneak away…? Pinkie, you ditched me!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yes huh!"

"Um… is this your date or something?" the silver haired girl said.

"No way Jose!" Pinkie said immediately. "Tyr, meet Sugar Twist. Tyr here is my friend!"

Tyr personally felt that he'd die trying to keep up with Pinkie if they were dating. Sugar seemed to come to the same conclusion. "Then, if you're free…?"

"Come on!" Pinkie dragged Tyr away by the arm. As rude as it was to simply walk off like that, he felt it would have been even more awkward to let down Sugar Twist like that. When they returned to the table, Tyr was shocked at what he saw. Applejack was circling the drain, somewhere in the gap between passed out and conscious. Twilight was giggling at a joke only she knew, and didn't seem anywhere close to stopping. Rarity was missing, and Rainbow Dash was passed out in Fluttershy's lap. Tyr was amazed to find the shy girl was the only one seemingly okay.

"What… happened while I was gone?"

"Twilight suggested we have more drinks after you… um… vanished," Fluttershy offered. "I tried to tell them to pace themselves, but…"

"I'm guessing they didn't hear you."

"…No."

Tyr looked around. "And Rarity?" Fluttershy simply pointed. Tyr followed her finger to see Rarity dancing wildly with Pinkie. "…I… wow."

AJ suddenly dropped, Tyr only managing to barely catch her before she slammed her face onto the table. He gently lowered her. "…Maybe it's time to go," Fluttershy offered helpfully.

"You may be right."

"Aw, is it time to go?" Pinkie suddenly appeared. "I was having so much fun…"

"…Pinkie, are you drunk too?"

"Who me? I hardly drank a drop!"

The thought that Pinkie was naturally the way she was horrified Tyr.

-x-

"I don't want to go to a bar again," Twilight groaned. It was the next day and Tyr was back in the library, this time fixing a printer.

"You did drink quite a bit," Tyr remarked.

"I just never expected this…" Twilight groaned again. Spike appeared with an ice pack and she put it on her forehead. "Oh…"

Tyr packed up his tools. "I'm finished here. I'm stopping by Rarity's. You hear how she's doing?"

"No, but no doubt better off than me."

Twilight might never know how wrong she was. The Rarity that greeted Tyr at Carousel Boutique's front door was not the usual. She looked as though the alcohol hadn't yet fully worked itself out of her system. She greeted him as normal, directed him to where he needed to work, and then fell silent. Tyr felt just a tad bit awkward. "So… Rarity. About last night…"

The fashionista stiffened up. "Tyr. Darling. We will not speak of last night."

"…We won't?"

She got up and stalked over to him, pushing her face an inch away from his. "I have all manner of sharp cutting implements within arm's reach Tyr. I made an absolute fool of myself, and I will not, I repeat, will _not_ have anyone know. The only people who know are you, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. Dear Shy would never do anything to hurt me, and Pinkie promised me she wouldn't either. You are a gentleman Tyr, and I hope that you would agree to the same, _darling_."

Tyr took a slow, deep breath. "…I was too busy carrying Rainbow Dash to see anything," He offered.

"…Good." Rarity straightened up. Her hand snapped to her forehead. "I apologize for being so… harsh today darling, but you must understand."

"No, I understand. I'll finish up quick and head home." Tyr stayed true to his word. Dealing with hung over people was not something he wanted to do. Before long, he was comfortably back home. "Sherry, I'm home!"

"Hey, Dad!" Sherry appeared at the top of the steps. "You have fun last night?"

"I guess you could say that," He said, coming up. As he got to the top of the stairs, Luna stepped out of the game room door. "Hey, Luna. I didn't know you were here."

"I decided to pay Sherry a visit." She glanced around. "Also… if it is alright with you, I would like to speak with you in private."

Sherry took the hint and went back into the game room. Luna and Tyr moved a bit off to the side. "So, I'm going to hazard a guess and assume this is about last night?"

"Yes. I felt my apology was… lacking."

"Lacking?"

"I wanted to formally apologize. I'm sorry for lying about my reasons for—"

"It's alright," Tyr said, cutting her off. "You having a job as a bartender was a bit surprising. What made you choose that?"

"I'm quite restless at night," She said. "So finding employment was… important."

"You did tell me you were getting help from your older sister."

"I do not want to stress Tia. I can take care of myself."

Tyr leaned up against a wall. "Alright, I can understand that. Just be careful. A lot of unsavory types go to places like that."

"I understand. I shall be ever vigilant."

"So, when do you have to go to work?"

"In a couple hours."

"Well, go ahead and play with Sherry. Don't let me keep you."

"You won't be joining us?"

"No, I have… some stuff I need to organize." Tyr headed into his room. Luna watched him for a moment, before going back into the game room.

"Sherry," She said, sitting down. "Is something wrong with Tyr?"

"Hm? I haven't noticed anything. Have you?"

"I don't know. He just seems a bit more… reserved than usual."

Sherry glanced at the system date on the PS3. "Oh! Oh… it's today."

"What is today?"

"He told me after our little game night." Sherry lowered her voice. "Today is the anniversary of his parents' deaths…"

Luna stood up quickly and strode out of the room. She went over to Tyr's closed door. Without hesitation, she knocked twice. A moment passed, and then Tyr was at the door. "What is it, Luna?" He asked, a soft smile on his face. She stared at him for a long moment. Then, without warning, she hugged him. "…Luna?"

She pulled away after an awkward pause, nervously looking away. "I was told once that when someone was grieving, you should hug them."

"Grieving…?" Tyr pieced things together. "Sherry told you."

"I apologize."

"No, it's… fine. I needed that." He smiled. "For someone who thinks I'm weird, you're weird."

"What? I am not weird!"

Tyr laughed. Luna felt a strange feeling rise in her at hearing it. "You came over here and gave me a hug without saying anything. You didn't need to."

"…I… felt it was necessary." She blushed slightly. "I will be going to work early today. Goodbye, Tyr."

"Be safe, Luna."

"Aw, leaving already?" Sherry peeked out of the game room. "Well, see you later, Luna."

"Goodbye, Sherry." Luna gave Tyr one last glance before hurrying out of the house.

Sherry came over to her adoptive father. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing really. Hey… you want to take a trip to meet my parents?"

"Rarity," A soft voice called. Fluttershy peeked into the closed boutique. She slipped inside, hoping that Rarity was actually around. "Rarity…"

"Fluttershy, is that you?"

Fluttershy jumped at the sound of her name. Rarity was standing at the foot of the stairs leading to her work rooms. "Oh, Rarity, I just… I had come to check up on you…"

"I almost didn't hear you, darling. Thank you for coming to check in on me, but I'm fine."

"Twilight was taking her hangover hard, so…"

"Oh dear, I wasn't hung over. I was just embarrassed."

"It was… kinda fun watching you dance."

Rarity blushed. "Oh, don't remind me. I made a fool out of myself."

"…I like it," Fluttershy said, but her quiet voice was lost.

"Oh, I'm never going out drinking again!" Rarity thought for a moment. "Speaking of drinking, how are you?"

"Oh, I don't get drunk that easily."

"I see. Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have work to do."

"Um… can I help?"

Rarity blinked. "Help? Of course you can help! Why, your clothing expertise almost rivals my own…"

As Rarity went on and on, Fluttershy was more focused on the original reason she had come to the boutique.

It was late when Luna finally finished her shift. Not that it bothered her, she liked her job, and the late hours didn't bother her. But the walk home was another thing. She wished she had a bike like Tyr at moments like these, so she could just zip on home. "I cannot afford a luxury like that yet," she said aloud. "So I will have to make do with what I have. And that is… my legs."

As she walked on, she was oblivious to a pair of eyes watching her every step.


	4. Chapter 3: Necessary Heroics

Chapter 3: Necessary Heroics

Tyr heard the whine even before he saw its owner. "But I don't want to go to school!"

Sherry came around the corner, a frown on her face. She was dressed normally, except she carried a sling bag over her shoulder. Tyr smiled. Sherry was starting school now, as the second week of August was rolling around. Along with the cold weather, he thought ruefully. However, as a thank you gift for helping out so much, Rarity had sent him two hand-made winter coats, one for him and one for Sherry. And they were warm. "You knew this was coming, love."

"But that doesn't mean I want to go…"

"Don't worry, all your friends are going there too. I'm sure you'll make new ones too."

"…Okay." Sherry sighed.

"Now come on. Eat breakfast quick so you don't miss the bus."

"Fine…"

Before long, Tyr was waving to his daughter as she rode the bus to school. "Guess I'm on my own for a while," He sighed. Having no jobs to do was boring. "What to do… well, I guess I'll hop on Destiny. It's been a while since I played."

With that, he went upstairs and into the game room. He logged in and immediately a notification popped up. "A friend request? From who?" He looked over the gamer tag and chuckled softly to himself. Nightmare M00n seemed a bit familiar. With a smile, he accepted it.

-Hello, Luna.

-Tyr. The reply was almost instantaneous. –How did you guess it was I?

-Your profile name.

-I suppose that is fair. Are you available to play?

-Sure. I just saw Sherry off to school. You wouldn't happen to have voice chat, would you?

-I do not believe so.

-That's fine. I'll call you. Tyr pulled out his cell, hooked in his headset, and set it to dial Luna. Before long, he heard her voice over the line. "Yes?"

"It's Tyr. When did you get the system?"

"Last Tuesday. It was a bit of a splurge, but I really wanted to have my own system to play."

"You're always welcome to play over here, Luna."

"I appreciate that. But it is no fair to you if I am simply… mooching off of your good intentions."

"Well, if that's how you feel. Let's play, shall we?"

"Yes, let's."

Tyr noticed Luna's level was low, so he picked an easier mission to start off with. "So, killing time until it's time for work?"

"Yes, I find there isn't much to do during the day."

"Why didn't you get a day job? That way you could spend your evenings playing instead of working so late."

"I considered it, but… I was naturally nocturnal. My daytime hours are… usually restful."

"I get it. I'm thinking of getting a job myself."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Income from my part time repair work is decent, but was better when I was living alone. It's been a few months, and I think I'll need steady pay."

"That is commendable. You do quite a bit for young Sherry."

"I have to take care of her. And plus, I get bored too."

"I completely understand."

They played on for a few more hours before Luna said she was going to sleep for a bit before she had to work. Tyr said good bye and got off himself. "I suppose I could go out and get some groceries," He figured. A way to kill some time. He was on his bike a minute later and in town by ten. As he went into the supermarket, he noticed a pair of familiar faces.

"Hey, look, it's Tyr!"

"Hello Rainbow Dash," Tyr said, replying to the enthusiastic greeting. "Hello, Fluttershy."

The shy girl smiled softly. Despite having known him for a few months now, Fluttershy still drew back a bit whenever he addressed her directly. "H-hello, Tyr. Are you shopping too?"

"Just stocking up. Same with you guys?"

"Flutters wanted to make me dinner," Dash said, rolling her eyes. "Says I've been eating unhealthy."

"Dinner date, huh? Sounds like fun."

Tyr gathered up a few necessities as they walked and talked. Dash was excited about her participation in an upcoming triathlon. Fluttershy stayed mostly silent, providing commentary only when directly spoken to. She was picking out mostly organic foods as they went along, and Tyr found himself picking similar foods. Guess Equestrian girls might as well classify as vegetarians. "You don't eat meat around Sherry?" Dash asked.

"No, I didn't eat it much to begin with though. I figured eating something she didn't like around her wasn't particularly nice, so I adjusted."

"That's nice," Fluttershy said. They approached the checkout line, Tyr letting the two girls go ahead of him. As they stood there for a minute, he noticed something was off. The line wasn't moving. Dash had caught on as well.

"Hey, can you move it along up there?" She demanded. There was a hooded man at the front of the line leaned over the register. He shot a glance back towards the rainbow haired girl, but quickly returned his gaze to the cashier. Desperation. Tyr was moving before his mind completely registered the look in the man's eyes. "Tyr…?"

He was on top of the man before he realized he was there. "Back off man," The hooded man warned, turning to face him. A bulge in the pocket of his coat made Tyr pause slightly. "I don't want to have to use this."

"Then walk out if you don't want a concussion," Tyr replied smoothly. He needed that hand out of the pocket. He motioned for everyone behind him to not move.

"You know what this is, don't you?" The man hissed. "Take another step."

"You really prepared to kill someone?" Tyr asked, his voice low. No one was panicking yet, probably due to not realizing what was happening. The only one freaking out was Fluttershy, but Dash was holding onto her. Guess the hotheaded girl could keep her cool in situations like this. "Try me."

That was the trigger. The man snapped his hand out of his pocket, brandishing the gun in full view for the whole crowd to see. Someone screamed, and others began to run. "Tyr!" Fluttershy cried out in warning, but her friend was in motion again. In the instant the gun was pulled out, its barrel was pointed away from anyone it could hurt. Tyr slammed into the man, pushing the gun off to the side. With an iron grip, he grabbed the gun hand and pulled it up. Even surprised, the gunman was putting up a struggle. Tyr's focus was on trying to keep it aimed away from people. A single gunshot rang out, and Tyr prayed it didn't hit anyone. He slammed his elbow into the man's throat, choking him and letting Tyr pull the gun away. With practiced precision, he unloaded the gun and pulled it apart, tossing it aside. Now disarmed, the man tried to run. However, Tyr was too close. He tripped him up and pinned him to the floor.

It had only taken a couple minutes, but it had felt like seconds to Tyr. He let out the breath he had held in, and glanced around. "Someone call the police," He said calmly.

"Tyr that was awesome!" Dash and Fluttershy were at his side almost instantly.

"You were so calm," Fluttershy said in awe. "How did you know what to do?"

"I was in S.W.A.T.," He said. "That's essentially the elite police force trained to deal with situations like this."

"Well!" Dash playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Guess we can rely on Tyr to stay calm in the face of danger!"

"Ow," Tyr said, rubbing his shoulder. He adjusted his stance to keep the man below him pinned with his knees, then noticed his hand came away with blood. "…That's not good."

Fluttershy fainted.

-x-

"You've been shot before?"

Tyr smiled slightly at Dash's energetic question. "Yeah, it was an occupational hazard."

"Sorry about fainting like that," Fluttershy said timidly. "The sight of blood always freaks me out."

The three of them sat in the town hospital, Tyr lying in the hospital bed with his shoulder bandaged up. According to the doctors, the bullet had passed through because of the close range and managed to miss anything important. Thank goodness for that, Tyr thought. Now all he had to deal with was the pain. "I can't believe it," Dash was saying. "Why would someone rob a grocery store?"

"Less security," Tyr offered. "No real big threat of a random security guard catching on."

"Well, lucky for that store, Tyr was around."

Tyr smiled and rotated his injured arm. It still pained him, so he left it alone. "Does it still hurt?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah," Tyr admitted. "It'll work itself out in time."

"Tyr!" Several voices cried out. Three figures rushed into the hospital room and rushed to his side.

Tyr blinked in surprise. "Twilight? AJ? Rarity? What are you guys doing here?"

"Dash messaged us and told us what happened," AJ said. "That was mighty brave of you, Tyr, taking on that hooligan all by your lonesome."

"When we heard you were hurt we came rushing over, darling," Rarity said.

"Was the wound serious?" Twilight asked.

"It was a through and through, so no surgery needed," Tyr replied. "I was more worried about someone else getting hurt, to be honest."

"Good. We were worried."

Tyr looked around at the five girls. He had been injured in the line of duty before, but back then the people who checked in on him were his squad mates. "I didn't think I warranted this much worry," He said jokingly.

"Of course you do, darling!" Rarity admonished. "You are our friend, and we always worry about our friends!"

Everyone else nodded, showing their agreement. "Plus, y'all were looking after a couple of our own," AJ said, motioning to Fluttershy and Dash. "Why would we not be worried, sugarcube?"

"I…I suppose that's fair," Tyr said, smiling. "Thanks you guys."

"No, we should be thanking you," Twilight corrected.

Fluttershy laid a soft hand on top of Tyr's. "You were very brave, Tyr. Thank you for protecting us."

Tyr felt his cheeks warm at Fluttershy's touch. She was extremely beautiful, even with all the other girls, including Rarity, there to compare. Plus, that soft voice… He shook the thought off. "It's no problem, Fluttershy."

"Has anyone told Sherry yet?" Twilight asked.

Tyr froze up. Sherry. She should be getting out of school right about now… "I brought her!" Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared at the doorway, skipping inside. Sherry followed behind, and the young girl froze upon seeing her guardian.

"Dad…" She stammered, eyes drawn to his wound.

"It looks worse than it is—" He managed to say, before Sherry leapt into his arms, crying softly. "…Sherry…"

"When Pinkie told me you were hurt, I was so worried…!" She buried her face in his chest, tears staining his shirt. He moved his good arm around her to comfort her.

"I'm fine, Sherry. The wound will close up and heal in a few days. I just can't do anything too strenuous for a while."

"Your dad here protected us," Dash said, grinning. "You should be proud to have such as awesome guy looking after you!"

Sherry giggled softly, sitting up and wiping her eyes. "Yeah, you're right."

"So how long are you staying in the hospital?" Rarity asked.

"Just until the doctors clear me. Which shouldn't be too long," Tyr said.

"We can stay with you," Twilight offered.

"No, that's fine. You all have your work to do, right? Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"You better be!" Pinkie said. "I have a whole Tyr-is-back-from-the-hospital party all planned!"

"Does that actually warrant a party…?"

Dash rolled her eyes. "Pinks will throw a party for any reason."

There was a knock on the door. The doctor came in a moment later. "My, someone is a lucky man," he joked, looking around at all the women crowded around his patient.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "What's going on, doc?"

"Just came in to tell you visitation is over. Don't want to get you excited and tear the stitches."

"I'm avoiding moving my arm around, but that's understandable. Sorry girls."

"It's no issue," Twilight assured him. The other girls agreed and got up to leave.

"Just focus on getting better, darling," Rarity told him.

They all filed out, Sherry pausing to plant a kiss on his cheek. "See you later, Dad."

"Sherry," Fluttershy was the last to leave. "You could always come with me to the veterinarian until your dad is okay to leave."

Sherry turned back to Tyr. "Is that okay?"

"Go ahead," He said with a smile. "Have fun."

She grinned and nodded, skipping out the door in a Pinkie Pie imitation. "I'll take care of her," Fluttershy assured him.

"You've got that aura about you," He said. "I'm not worried. See you, Fluttershy."

She gave him a small wave before leaving as well. The doctor nodded to Tyr before going out. The room felt much emptier now that they were all gone. "That's friends for you," He said with a chuckle. "The moment they're gone you feel the lack." He decided to drift off to sleep then, until his phone, set on the bedside table, suddenly made a noise. It was a text from Luna, he discovered. –Just off work. Are you available to play?

He smiled. –Sorry Luna, can't play. I'm a bit indisposed atm.

-A pity. What are you doing?

-I'll tell you later. I'm tired, so goodnight.

-Very well. Enjoy your sleep, Tyr.

He'd tell her everything when he saw her next. With a small yawn, he went back to sleep.

-x-

He was discharged pretty early the next day. With no complications, the doctors let him go with a joked warning about being a "knight in shining armor". As He left, he checked his phone. It was well past time for Sherry to be heading off to school, and he surprisingly had two text messages, one from Fluttershy and one from Luna. Luna's message was just another question about what had happened the other day. Tyr was really surprised at the text from Fluttershy. Apparently according to her text, Rainbow had stuck hers and Fluttershy's number into his phone yesterday. Her text said that she was having breakfast with Rainbow, and was inviting him to her place. With a smile, he sent her a message that he'd be happy to come, but he'd need—

"Yo, Tyr!" Rainbow skid to a stop beside him. "Out of the hospital?"

"Apparently," Tyr said, smirking. "What are you doing here?"

"Flutters sent me. Figured you wouldn't know the way to her place." She grinned. "Wanna lift?"

In a moment of pure ignorance, Tyr spoke the one phrase he would regret all day: "Sure, why not?"

-x-

When Tyr finally felt his legs under him again, he felt more relief than he had ever felt in his life. "Rainbow," He murmured. "I am never riding with you again."

"Aw, come on! I'm sure you go faster on that motorcycle!"

"Yeah, but I don't drive recklessly."

"Oh, whatever." Rainbow hooked her bike up to a nearby post and shrugged.

Tyr looked up at the building they were in front of. A tall apartment building stood in front of him. "Fluttershy lives here?"

"Flutters and I both do," Rainbow said, going inside. Tyr followed her. She led him up to the top floor and stopped in front of a simple door decorated with butterflies. "Yo, Fluttershy, I brought him!"

Moments later, the door opened, and the shy girl greeted them. "Hey Rainbow. Hello Tyr. Please, come in."

The apartment was well kept, and several dogs and cats roamed freely about. A couple parakeets were chirping in their window side cage as well. "You have a lot of pets," Tyr remarked, following the girls into the dining room.

"Flutters had always had a thing for animals," Rainbow said.

"Only fitting she works as a veterinarian then," Tyr said.

Fluttershy blushed. "Oh, I'm nothing special as all that…"

They sat at Fluttershy's dining table while she went into the small kitchen. She returned a moment later with a platter of pancakes, eggs, and sliced fruits. "That all looks really good," Rainbow said, licking her lips.

"I might have made a bit much," Fluttershy said, blushing. "I know how much Dashie and I can eat, but I didn't know if you were a big eater or not, Tyr."

Tyr smiled. "I'll eat whatever is put in front of me. Plus…" He shot a glance over at Rainbow. "Dashie?"

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Don't you start. Only Flutters calls me that."

"Okay, okay." They began to eat then, mostly sharing small talk and jokes. Rainbow was beginning to look like less of a jerk to Tyr, especially when she brought up the pair's childhood.

"Never knew pegasii were so…" Tyr searched for the right word.

"Brutal?"

"Aggressive is the word I'd choose," Tyr said, laughing at Rainbow.

"A lot of Pegasus are very competitive," Fluttershy said. "I um… wasn't one of them."

"And I'm guessing Dash is?"

Rainbow puffed out her chest proudly. "I hardly lose."

"Doesn't surprise me."

"Um…" Fluttershy spoke up. "If you guys are done eating, I'll wash the dishes…"

"Ah, let me help you," Tyr said, grabbing his plate and standing. "I'm a guest, least I can do."

"Um… I mean, you don't have to… okay."

"I'll be in here," Rainbow hopped over to the couch and turned on Fluttershy's TV. "Don't mind me."

Fluttershy's kitchen was small, but large enough that the two could stand side by side at the sink. However, as Tyr began to wash, He could tell Fluttershy was trying to give him as much space as possible. But as they worked, small movements made them bump into each other, and Fluttershy blushed at each one. Tyr tried to focus on what he was doing, but found himself drawn to the girl's small, slender hands. Well, not just those. Fluttershy had a very womanly body, and working in such close quarters didn't give Tyr much room to look anywhere else. She was keeping her small mouth zipped tight, so no distracting conversation. After a few quiet minutes, Tyr finally found something he knew she'd respond to. "…How was Sherry?"

Fluttershy stared at him for a moment. "Sherry? Oh! Um… She was very good." She smiled, remembering something comfortable. "She was very good with the animals."

"She wasn't a handful?"

"No, not at all! She was very sweet, and helpful." She blushed and looked away. "Um… I enjoyed her company."

"Good." Tyr nodded. "I'm glad." He reached for a plate—Rainbow's, if he remembered correctly—and instead found his hand over Fluttershy's. Her head snapped up just as he glanced over at her. Their eyes met for a moment before Fluttershy snatched her hand away. "Uh… sorry."

"It's okay!" Fluttershy moved even further away. "You can get that one."

"…right. Sorry." Tyr had to admit, it was the softest hand touch he had ever had to apologize for. He finished up the dishes and went back out into the main room. Rainbow was watching some cop drama, and hadn't heard anything. "…Hey, Fluttershy," Tyr glanced back. Fluttershy was staring down at her hand. Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice.

"Y-yes?"

"I really enjoyed breakfast. But, I don't want to abuse your generosity, so I'll be heading home."

Rainbow snorted. "Yeah, if you're going to abuse someone's generosity, go bother Rarity."

"What do you mean by that, Dash?"

"She's the Element of Generosity. Being generous is her thing."

"Seems legit. Well, I'll you girls around."

"See ya."

Tyr headed outside and was at the elevator when a soft voice stopped him. "Tyr."

He turned to find Fluttershy at her door. "…What is it, Fluttershy?"

"Um… it was… um… nice to have you over."

Tyr smiled. "Maybe I'll come by to visit with Sherry. If that's okay."

"That would be nice," Fluttershy smiled. "Well… be safe going home, Tyr."

"Thanks." Tyr gave her a wave before heading out. Another day with not much to do, he realized. The walk back home was pleasant enough, though. As he finally reached his front door, he almost called out to Sherry before remembering she was at school. He sighed. He really needed a job. As he sat down on his couch, he noticed another text from Luna. –Are you home?

-Yeah, I'm home. What's up?

-I'm coming over.

-What? Tyr frowned. Luna hardly came over when it was this early, especially if Sherry wasn't home. Maybe she wanted to talk about the other day? She didn't respond, so Tyr was forced to wait until she arrived. When he opened the door, she walked in without a word. "Um… Hey?"

"Will you please explain to me why I found out from Twilight Sparkle that you were in the hospital?" Luna whirled on him, eyes narrowed with anger.

Called it, Tyr thought to himself. What was worse, Twilight had told her. "I didn't think Twilight would tell you…"

"So you did not want her to tell me? Were you planning to keep it from me?"

"No! I was going to tell you, I figured you'd want to hear it from me personally," Tyr said, frowning.

"You could have told me the other day. Instead, I hear from Twilight that you were shot!"

Tyr touched his injured shoulder. "It wasn't that serious of a wound. I was released this morning."

"This morning? Then why were you just getting home earlier?"

Tyr paused, the let out a long sigh. He really didn't like lying to people he considered friends. "…I had breakfast with Rainbow and Fluttershy today. They claimed it was repayment for protecting them."

Luna looked away. "…I see. I can understand why you'd rather spend time with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy is quite attractive, no? And Rainbow Dash is an athlete, and probably more fun than me…"

"Luna." Tyr's voice was soft and gentle. "Why would you think I enjoy spending time with someone else more than you? I like having you around."

Luna sat on the couch. "I… I apologize for my behavior. I was worried, and my current circumstances do not do well for my mood."

"Circumstances?" Tyr sat beside her. "Something up with your sister?"

"No. Tia is fine. But… I have sensed someone watching me."

Tyr felt a chill run down his spine. "…Watching you?"

Luna nodded. "I believe someone has been following me when I leave work."

"A stalker… Have they done anything else?"

"No, just… following. Is this normal?"

"Not particularly. Do you want me to do anything?"

"If you want. I see no harm in them just following…

"Are you working tonight?"

Luna was taken aback by the seriousness in Tyr's eyes. "Y-yes, I am."

"You call me if anything happens, alright?"

"Only if you do the same." Luna fixed Tyr with her eyes. "I do not wish to hear of my friend being hurt from another. The next time something happens to you— _anything—_ I want you to tell me."

"…Alright, I promise."

Luna stood up. "Good. I will speak with you later."

Tyr smiled. "You're a good friend, Luna."

"I… I have not had many friends," she said softly. "So I do the best I can with those I have."

"Be safe, Luna."

She nodded and headed out. Tyr sighed. He was glad the misunderstanding was cleared, but now with the whole stalker situation, he had a whole new set of worries…


	5. Chapter 4: Night Light

**As much as I wanted to keep my constant posting to a weekly basis, I was waaaaaaaay to excited to post this chapter. It is (so far) my favorite chapter to have written. Oh boy. I'm not one for intros, but I just had to!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Night Light

Tyr found himself in the library more and more lately, and not just because the building had the oldest machines in town. With so little to do, he found himself doing more and more reading. With that came spending more time around Twilight. But even that didn't prepare him for what he saw today as he brought Sherry to get more books. Twilight was running back and forth, stacks of books in her arms and papers flying around haphazardly. "Um… did we miss something?" Tyr asked.

"She's in a panic," Spike said flatly, coming over. He seemed unperturbed by everything that was happening. I guess this sort of thing isn't too odd for Twilight, Tyr figured.

"Why?" Sherry asked.

"Her old teacher is coming into town in a couple of days."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Is that such a big deal?"

"To her it is."

"Obviously…" Tyr watched Twilight stumble and almost drop her stack of books. "Should we help her?"

"I tried," Spike said with a shrug. "Apparently only she can do this right."

"Did the others try?"

"Well, whenever she gets like this, they know to not bother. At least Pinkie brought by some food."

"Well… if there's anything we can do to help?"

"Just steer clear I guess. This is normal for Twilight, it'll pass."

"Alright then. Guess we should go, Sherry."

"Okay." Sherry frowned. "See you, Spike.

Thoroughly confused, Tyr and Sherry left the library. "So what should we do now?" Tyr asked.

"I am kinda hungry…"

"Let's head over to Pinkie's, shall we?"

"Yes!"

It was probably not the smartest of decisions, Tyr realized. "Oh well," He murmured, as Pinkie dragged Sherry away. At least her attention wasn't on him. He was able to sit and enjoy a slice of pie while Pinkie and Sherry made cinnamon buns. The bubblegum haired girl seemed elated to be baking, a smile on her face as big as Pinkie's. Before long, Tyr found himself smiling as well.

"Someone seems happy today." Tyr turned to find Rarity standing behind him.

"Rarity? Never thought I'd see you here."

She sat down across from him. "And why is that, Darling? Even I enjoy the taste of Pinkie's sweets every now and then."

"I suppose that's fair."

"And where is Sherry? It's a Saturday, so I assumed she'd be spending as much time as possible with you."

"She's baking," Tyr said. As usual, he didn't feel completely comfortable talking one-on-one with Rarity. She seemed to notice and let out a long sigh.

"Tyr. Darling. I can tell you don't feel comfortable around me."

Tyr smirked. "Am I that easy to read?"

"No it's… I know I am a… difficult person. You've put up with me with business like professionalism, and I appreciate that. However… you've become friends with all of my friends. I would like… for us to be friends as well."

Tyr was surprised. He never thought he'd be sitting here, having a conversation like this with Rarity of all people. After a long moment of thought, he smiled. "To be honest, Rarity, you're intimidating."

"I am?"

"Yes. You're beautiful, an independent business owner, and you have a… strong personality."

"Well, I…"

"I mean all of that as a compliment." Tyr smiled. "We can be friends, Rarity. I honestly wanted you to at least tolerate me."

"I can always tolerate a handsome man," Rarity said, regaining her usual teasing attitude. Tyr had to admit, a teasing Rarity was one he didn't mind being around. The soft smile that stayed on her face whenever she was enjoying herself was contagious.

"I see. You sure you don't have a thing for me?" He teased back. Rarity let out a delicate chuckle.

"Now darling, we've been over this…"

"Oh come on, just say it."

"Tyr, you scoundrel, must you torment a lady so?" She put on a hurt look, but her tone was joking.

"Only because you won't admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you like me."

Rarity was trying hard not to laugh and leaned forward. "Darling, please—"

"Rarity has a crush on Tyr!?" Pinkie suddenly exploded. The two at the table looked up in shock at the pink plume perched on top of the counter. "You were _confessing?"_

"Wait, Pinkie, we're not—"

"Pinkie Pie, there isn't anything—"

"Oh. Dear. CELESTIA!" Pinkie squealed. "I. Have got. To tell EVERYBODY!" With that cry, Pinkie dashed out of the building.

"Oh dear, I've got to stop her before this gets blown out of proportion!" Rarity jumped up and chased after Pinkie. Tyr sat there for a few moments, dumbfounded, before Sherry came over with a tray full of cinnamon buns.

"What happened?" She asked.

"A huge misunderstanding that I believe is going to get way out of hand really fast," Tyr said. The smell of the cinnamon buns distracted him for a moment. "…You make those?"

"Mmhm!" Came the happy reply. "Want one?"

"Sure, why not?" He took one and bit into it. It was soft, fluffy, and tasted amazing. "Wow Sherry, you really have a talent for this."

"I do?" She smiled. "I was just hoping you'd like it."

"It's delicious Sherry. Well, we should go."

"Huh? But Rarity and Pinkie…"

"That's why we should leave," Tyr murmured. "Gotta find out a way to head Pinkie off."

They were barely out of the door when they ran into Applejack. The farm girl looked up as he approached. A slow grin formed on her face. "Well, howdy there, lover boy."

"Oh god, Pinkie already told you?"

AJ tipped her hat at him, smile growing. "Lucky man to actually snare Rarity. She came running out trying to deny it, but she was all blush and sputtering when she spoke."

"That's the thing," Tyr said, exasperated. "Rarity and I aren't a couple."

"Pinkie said y'all were confessing or some such in the bakery…"

"We weren't!"

AJ's smile faded. "So… you're not interested in Rarity?"

"Well, I'd be lying if I said not _completely_ … But I didn't ask her to go out with me or anything."

"You didn't?" AJ seemed deep in thought for a bit. "I… I see. Well, I saw Pinkie headed off to the library, and Rarity was right behind her."

"Thanks AJ. And thanks for understanding. Come on Sherry."

As Tyr and Sherry drove away, AJ let out a deep sigh. "Well, I guess that's okay," She muttered to herself. "I hate making fake smiles…"

They came across Rarity panting on the side of the road, not far from the bakery. "I couldn't… keep up…" she said, out of breath. "And now I'm all _sweaty_ …"

"Hop on," Tyr said. "Ride with us."

"Are you sure?" Rarity eyed the bike with a bit of suspicion.

"It's really fun," Sherry said. "Plus, we'll make it faster."

Rarity sighed in defeat. "Fine, but I have no idea if we'd ever catch up to Pinkie when she's excited…" She climbed onto the bike and slipped her arms around Tyr's waist. "Let's go then."

As quickly as possible, Tyr drove away. It wasn't far from the library, but no Pinkie Pie showed up. Before long, they pulled up in front of the library. Tyr spotted Luna coming out of the building. Upon seeing him, she made her way directly to him. "Hey, Luna," He said, hopping off the bike and walking to meet her. She had a frown on her face. "Did Pinkie Pie—"

She slapped him, hard, across the face. The strike cracked loudly and seemed to freeze the area. Sherry gasped. Rarity's eyes shot open and her hands went to cover her mouth. Tyr rolled with the blow, catching himself as he stumbled from the shock. When Luna didn't speak immediately, he turned back to her. She was angry. "Luna, what—"

"I suppose since you are not the Element of Honesty, I should not expect perfection from you," she said quietly, eyes full of rage. "But I thought that we were close enough that you would not lie to me."

Tyr was confused. "What? Lie? Luna, I didn't—"

"Do. Not. Speak." Luna seemed to barely be able to contain herself. "You promised me that you would tell me _anything_ that might be important. After your injury, and the talk we had… I thought you would stay true to that. It seems I was wrong. I am sorry I trusted you."

With that, she walked away, not sparing a glance back at him. She paused just short of Rarity. The fashionista flinched, thinking she was going to be hit. "P-Princess Luna…"

"I hold no anger towards you, Rarity," Luna said softly. "I hope you find happiness where I could not."

She walked away, leaving them all in silence. Tyr reached up and touched his cheek, which still stung. Luna's nails had scratched him, leaving a few small lines of blood on his face. "Did… did I do that?" A soft voice asked. Everyone looked to see Pinkie and Twilight standing in the doorway of the library. The party girl's normally puffy and curly hair had fallen completely straight.

"You got here before us," Sherry said, partly amazed.

"Pinkie came in while Luna was checking out a book," Twilight said. Her hair and tail were in a state of disarray, but her face was serious. "She told us everything."

"Not everything," Rarity began weakly.

"She said you confessed to Tyr." Twilight sighed. "I want to tell you guys I'm happy for you, but I've never seen Luna like that…"

"It's not like that!" Rarity finally found her voice. "Tyr and I are not a couple! We were playing around, and Pinkie misheard us!"

Twilight looked to Pinkie, who visibly deflated even more. "I… I didn't know…" She stammered weakly. "I thought… I was excited, and…"

"You moved too fast," Tyr said with a sigh.

"I messed everything up, didn't I? I did, didn't I?" She began to cry, falling to her knees.

The sight of Pinkie crying was depressing enough to make everyone look away. "It's okay, Pinkie," Twilight knelt beside her friend. "We all make mistakes."

"B-but, I ruined Luna and Tyr's friendship…"

"Friendships can be mended. If he goes and tells her the truth." She glanced over at Tyr. Luna's anger had gotten to him, she saw. He still looked out of it. "Tyr."

"Huh?" He looked over at her.

"Come inside. I have a first aid kit; we should clean those scratches."

"Ah… yeah. You're right. I can… I'll call Luna later." He turned slightly. "Sherry, come on."

Sherry hopped out of the bike's sidecar and ran over to him. She grabbed onto his arm comfortingly as they all went inside.

-x-

It was late when Tyr and Sherry got home. In her efforts to apologize, Pinkie had brought all manner of sweets and baked goods. By the time they left, the party girl had regained her pep and her hair was back to its curly state. Tyr carried the sleeping Sherry inside. "Sugar crashes," He chuckled to himself, tucking her into her bed. "Lucky, you get to sleep, while I'm completely awake…"

After putting Sherry in bed, Tyr went into the game room. He didn't feel like playing anything, but it was comfortable being in there. For the first time in a while, he turned the TV on just to watch TV. A comedy show was on, and it was probably just what he needed. He needed to laugh. All the texts he had sent to Luna had gone unanswered, and he felt that he may never speak to her again. That fact weighed heavily on his mind. "I can't sit here getting depressed," He muttered. He had to think about more positive things. He still had Sherry, right? Sure, no more Luna, but they had each other. Fluttershy was still an option. "Somehow, I can't see myself trying to get her to go out with me," He said with a sigh. Maybe he should just sleep. It's been a long day after all. Losing Luna's friendship had hurt. As the TV continued to drone on, he felt himself drifting off.

When he woke up, it was a little past one in the morning. "Can't believe I slept that long," He chuckled. He got up and headed downstairs, his throat dry. He rooted around in the fridge, eventually settling on a can of soda. As he turned around, his phone, situated on the kitchen counter, lit up. "A text? Who the hell would text me this time of night?" He mumbled, picking it up. As he switched it on to read the message, he almost dropped his soda.

-Help

It was from Luna. Tyr's mouth opened slightly, but he quickly closed it. He didn't want to deal with her right now, after what she had said to him. She hadn't even bothered to let him speak, and now she wants help? He almost tossed the phone down in anger. But he thought for a moment, and looked at the text again. It wasn't like the normal texts Luna sent, where he could really hear her voice through them. Then the realization hit him.

She was in danger.

Tyr flew out of the kitchen and onto his bike. He kicked the sidecar free, slammed his helmet on, and sped away into the night. He had locked the door behind himself, right? He shook the thought away, focused on his objective. He was at Eclipse in record time. But as he rolled up, he saw someone locking up. "Hey, is Luna here?"

The man frowned. "Luna? The Equestrian girl? No, she left a while ago. I let her off early tonight."

"Which way did she go?"

"Um… that way."

Tyr sped away before the man could say another word. He had to find Luna. Quickly. He hadn't driven this fast in a while, and was thankful no cops were out on his route. And then he heard her. "Please! Unhand me this instant!"

He skidded to a stop. Down a nearby alleyway, trio of men were crowded around something, and were struggling. With a final rev of his engine, he hopped off the bike. "What the hell is this?" He roared.

The three men whirled around, momentarily revealing Luna pinned under a fourth. Her clothes were partially torn off or undone, and there were tears in her normally strong eyes. Those eyes widened upon seeing Tyr. She made to speak, but the man pinning her struck her across the face. "Shut your trap!" He hissed. Tyr felt one eye twitch.

"You may want to back off, brother," The biggest man said, stepping forward. Even Tyr, who was taller than average, was dwarfed by the giant. "We have some business with her, and you don't want to be part of it."

Tyr wordlessly walked over and picked up a discarded length of pipe. After a second of testing its heft, he smacked it into his open palm. "My business at the moment is cracking your skulls in. And the moment you picked her, it became my business."

The men slowly moved forward, moving to surround him. "You've got one last chance to walk away from this man. Don't make us hurt you."

Time slowed down for Tyr. He was up against four men, although one of them was busy holding Luna. It was terrible odds, and he didn't have any help coming. But he had walked into this alley on his own volition, and he had realized something on the way here. He wasn't doing this for a friend anymore.

He was doing this for the girl he loved.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," He snarled.

The first thug lunged at him, reaching out to grab for the pipe. Tyr swung hard, slamming the metal object into the man's hands, shattering the bones in one on contact. The man screamed out in pain, reeling back and clutching his shattered hand. Tyr faced down the next, the big man who had spoken. He was watching him closely, not making a rash move like his friend. As they stared each other down, Tyr felt the other man sneaking up on him from behind. He moved first, thrusting the pipe forward like a spear. The big man batted it away, and his friend leapt at Tyr from behind. Using the momentum of the pipe, Tyr spun and backhanded the third man across the face, knocking him to the ground. But he wasn't fast enough to stop the big man from grabbing him in a bear hug. The man's thick, muscular arms started to crush the life from him. As the death grip got tighter, he felt the air in his lungs coming back weaker and weaker with each pained breath. Then suddenly, he was slammed into the wall and dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Even before he could catch a full breath, kicks suddenly rained down on him from above, and he moved his arms to at least protect his head. The two men from before had recovered, and now that he was disarmed and weak, were taking advantage of the situation. Well, this is it, he thought sadly to himself. He had tried—and failed—to save Luna. And now, once the thugs had their fill of beating him, they would take their fill of her. He caught a glimpse of Luna as the last man was pulling off her blouse. "Sorry," He managed to get out, smiling weakly a moment before a foot crashed into his side. He coughed up blood.

Luna smiled. It wasn't a large smile, but it carried weight behind it. It was small, reserved, and gentle. She wasn't upset. He had come riding to her rescue when she called, and despite the danger, had tried to save her. And she was happy for that.

So what the hell was he doing giving up?

With a sudden surge of strength, he grabbed the foot of the big man and heaved. Years of body training and constant exercise had left Tyr strong. Strong enough to toss a man almost twice his size. Caught unawares, the man lost his balance, fell back, and smashed his head against the alley wall. He was out cold before he slumped to the ground. The shock of their biggest member going down in such a pathetic way stunned the other men long enough for Tyr to regain his feet. "Put him down already!" The man holding Luna screeched. The man with the broken hand pulled out a knife with his good hand. He swiped at Tyr, forcing him into the wall. His opponent thus pinned, he lunged to stab. Tyr saw it coming and slid to the side, letting the knife scrape the wall while at the same time punching the man full force in the throat. He choked and dropped his weapon, leaving him open to a brutal right hook from Tyr that dropped him instantly. He turned to face the third thug, who had taken the pipe. He swung, but Tyr caught the weapon easily. He punched the man in the face and dropped him without a word. With his appropriated weapon back in his hands, he turned to the last man. The thug was visibly trembling. The man that stood before him had a look on his face like a vengeful angel staring down a sinner destined for hell. "D-don't hurt me—"

Tyr struck him full force across the jaw with the pipe. The satisfying sound of breaking bone was followed by a pathetic whimper as the last man crumpled into a sorry heap. "Bit late for that," He said, spitting blood out of his mouth. Finally dropping the pipe, he let out a deep breath. "Luna. Are you okay—"

He barely got the sentence out of his mouth before Luna was suddenly pressed up against him, arms tight around him. "Y-you saved me," She murmured, hiccupping slightly as she spoke.

Tyr could only nod. "Yeah… I guess I did."

"I guess your n-name has some merit."

"…What do you mean?"

"I was interested in your name. You were named for the N-Norse god of law and heroic victory," Luna said. "And you certainly are a h-hero tonight."

"I was just…" Helping a friend, he almost said. He simply let the phrase trail off. They stood there in silence for a long minute that seemed like an hour. Suddenly, Luna shivered. "Cold?"

"…My clothes are r-ruined…"

Tyr nodded wordlessly and pulled off his coat and pulled it around her. It was torn in a few places, and he made a mental note to apologize to Rarity for its treatment later. He laughed quietly to himself. Thinking about Rarity at a time like this.

"W-what seems to be funny?" Luna asked.

"I was thinking about how I'm going to explain to Rarity that I ruined the coat she gave me."

"O-oh. I see. You and Rarity—"

"Are not a couple." Tyr finished.

Luna looked up at him. It took a lot to not simply lean down and kiss her. "But… P-pinkie Pie said—"

"Pinkie… made a mistake. Let's get out of here, I'll explain."

The ride back to Tyr's home was silent. He thought for a moment to take her back to her place, but Luna headed him off. "I d-don't want to be alone right now," She had told him. Before long, they were sitting in the living room, Tyr bandaging a cut on his forehead, and Luna shivering on the couch. It was a long time before one of them spoke.

"I was teasing Rarity," Tyr said quietly, deciding he had to be the one to speak first. "She and I didn't get along very well, and she wanted to fix that. I agreed, and we were joking around when Pinkie heard us. Well, seeing how excited she gets, it was no surprise she ran off to tell her closest friends first." He looked over at Luna, but she didn't say a word. Not sure if she was really listening, he continued on. "I cleared things with AJ—um, Applejack—first, but I couldn't catch up to Pinkie to explain before things got too far. Then everything at the library happened…"

Luna suddenly pulled her legs up to her chest and lowered her head. "I'm such an i-idiot." She mumbled.

"What?"

"When I saw you and Rarity together after Pinkie told us… I jumped to conclusions. I should have listened to you…"

"It wasn't the best of pictures, I realize now," Tyr muttered. "But I didn't want any of that to happen."

Luna was quiet for a long moment. "Thank you," she said finally.

"For?"

"You saved me. Those thugs would have had their way with me if you had not arrived."

"I almost didn't come." Tyr was being completely honest at this point. It was all she wanted, wasn't it? "I thought I didn't want to deal with you anymore."

"I do not blame you. I am… difficult. I know that. But you came to my rescue anyway."

"Of course. After I realized I lov—" He stopped short. Luna caught it anyway.

"You… what?" She looked up at him. When he didn't respond she got up and came over to him, sitting on the couch beside him. "What were you going to say—?"

He kissed her. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it was soft, a touching of lips, an almost missed gesture. Luna was frozen in mid-sentence, her eyes slowly growing. Her midnight blue eyes were as wide as saucers when he finally broke away. He hadn't wanted to leave those soft lips so soon, but he had to speak. "I realized I love you, Luna," Tyr said, giving up. He might as well put himself out there. "Your strength of character, your voice, and the way you play games with me and Sherry, the way you carry yourself, those stupidly large, beautiful eyes… I love everything about you." He sighed. "Even when I thought about giving up on you and maybe going after Fluttershy, even my own mind wouldn't let me. You're… perfect."

Luna was trembling again. "Why?" She asked, choking on the word. "I'm… I'm nothing special. Back in Equestria, I was important, I was a Princess. But here… in the human world, I'm just a helpless girl with emotions that go wild at the worst times, no social skills…"

"You may not be a real princess in the human world," Tyr said softly, reaching out to caress her face. "But you're **my** princess."

Luna felt her heart melt at his words. Yet she steeled herself one last time. "Am I… that important to you?"

"Yes. I promise you, I will protect you. If you need a hero, I will be one. Even if you need a demon, I'll be that too, if it means you'll be safe."

Luna stood up. "…I see." She dropped Tyr's jacket onto the couch and went over to the foot of the stairs.

"Where are you…?" Tyr followed her every step with his eyes as she slowly went up the steps. Despite her small stature, probably only barely over five feet, she was an elegant woman, with slender legs only even more accented by her torn skirt. Damn, she was sexy, Tyr thought to himself.

She stopped halfway. He looked over her shoulder at him, hair draped over one side of her face. "I thought I told you I did not want to be alone," She reminded him softly, her eyes half-lidded seductively. A little smile reminiscent of the one she had when he came to rescue her graced her pale face. "And I have chosen your room to sleep in tonight."

She walked up the last few steps slowly and went straight into Tyr's room. After letting all that information process for a second, Tyr jumped up quickly and went up after her. There wasn't any time to wait: he had a princess to satisfy, after all.


	6. Chapter 5: Royal Duties

Chapter 5: Royal Duties

Tyr's eyes snapped open. The sun was streaming into his room, and he held up a hand to block the brightness. As he moved, a mass on his right moved too. He looked over to find Luna curled up against his chest, one arm draped over his stomach. She was breathing softly, her delicate body rising and falling in time with Tyr's own breathing. He ran his hand along her back, taking in the feel of her skin while also letting a shiver run down her back. She snuggled closer to him, her hair tickling his chest. He lay there for a while, simple watching her sleep, tracing the outline of the moon symbol in the middle of her back. After a few minutes, she finally woke up. Her cerulean eyes opened slowly, blinked a few times, and finally focused on him. He smiled. "Morning, Princess."

She sat up on her elbows a bit, rubbing at her eyes. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders. "Tyr… this is not my home, is it?"

"No, you're at my house. Remember?"

Luna took a moment to think. "I spent the night here and…" Her memories of last night came back to her, and she blushed heavily, dropping down to bury her face in the pillow. "We… We had sex…"

"You don't seem happy."

"I am! Truly I am!" She looked up at him, then blushed fiercely and hid her face again. "I just… I feel as though my behavior was inappropriate…"

"Really?"

"I… invited you so shamelessly…"

He laughed. "If I didn't like it, I would have stayed downstairs." Tyr reached out to run his fingers through her hair.

Luna leaned into his touch with a soft sigh. "You were so gentle…"

"I didn't want to hurt you too much."

Luna giggled, something Tyr hadn't heard before. It was cute. "I truly enjoyed it," She said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. As she moved back, Tyr took hold of her face and drew her in for a real kiss, and she didn't resist. They kept their lips locked for a long moment before a sound at the door broke them from their little world.

"Ahem."

"Sherry!" Luna panicked, pulling the sheets up to cover herself. "Y-you…"

"I do live here," She said teasingly. Then she got a strange look on her face as a thought occurred to her. "It may be a good thing I'm a heavy sleeper…"

Tyr laughed nervously. "You…didn't see anything, did you Sherry?"

"Only my dad making out with his girlfriend." Sherry rolled her eyes. "So are you guys eating breakfast or am I going to be eating alone?"

Luna's stomach rumbled on cue. "I… would like something to eat."

Tyr nodded, and then glanced over at the chair on the wall of his room. Luna's ruined clothes lay on top of it. "Ah… Sherry. You have a skirt Luna can borrow?"

Sherry frowned, wondering why he would ask. "I do, but…" She noticed the clothes, and her eyes widened. "Ah… I think I have a something she can use…"

Luna blushed. Sherry left the room, and Tyr got up finally, grabbing some underwear and a pair of jeans. He pulled out a large t-shirt and tossed it to her. "It's probably too big for you, but it'll have to do until I get you home."

Luna nodded wordlessly, pulling on the shirt. It almost looked like a dress on her. "This is indeed too big…"

"You can say that again." Tyr turned away. The sight of Luna in his shirt was oddly erotic. Probably because she didn't have any underwear on under it. "Um… your underwear?"

"Oh!" She slipped into her panties just a few seconds before Sherry came back.

"It's a short skirt, but not too short," she said, handing it to Luna. She took it gratefully. "I'll uh, be downstairs."

She left. Tyr pulled on a shirt, and turned back around. Luna, seated back on the bed, was looking down at her lap. "Something on your mind?"

"Just something I want to confirm," Luna said quietly. "Tyr… am I your girlfriend? Am I correct to assume that you have chosen me?"

Tyr walked over and knelt in front of her. He kissed her again, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Caught off guard, Luna lost her balance and fell back onto the bed. Tyr kept kissing her for a bit before letting go. "Yes. I've chosen you, Princess."

She smiled breathlessly. "Then, your princess orders you to go make breakfast."

"As you wish," He said with a smile. He got up and headed downstairs. Sherry was eating an apple when he reached the kitchen. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay." She smiled. "You and Luna are cute together."

"And what would you know about who looks good together?" He teased, running his hand through her hair playfully.

"I know you've liked Luna since she first started coming over here," she countered. "And when she was angry at you, it really got to you."

"That is… true." Tyr shrugged. "I personally am surprised I fell in love so easily."

"You don't think you love her?"

"No, I know I love her. When she needed me the most, I rushed to her side without much second guessing. To be honest, I didn't even remember when I locked the door." Tyr made a simple breakfast of eggs and toast, making sure to make extra for Luna. He set a plate out for each of them before sitting down.

"I locked it," Sherry said, beginning to eat. "When you rushed out, it woke me up. When I realized you were gone, I locked the door."

"Ah… good job."

Luna came down then, her long hair brushed and covering one side of her face. She still seemed a little embarrassed at Sherry walking in on them this morning. When she saw the plate of food set out for her, she shot a questioning glance at Tyr. He nodded. She sat down and slowly began to eat. The three of them ate in an awkward silence. Tyr glanced at the clock. "Sherry, you aren't going to be late, are you?"

Sherry looked up at the clock. "Oh no! I've got to run!" She grabbed her things and ran to the door. As she reached it, she paused.

"Something the matter?"

She turned and looked directly at Luna. "Take care of my dad, okay?"

Luna blinked in surprise. "O-of course."

"Well, I'm leaving. Bye!" she ran out of the house, leaving Tyr and Luna in a stunned silence. After a moment, Tyr began to laugh.

"What seems to be funny?" Luna asked.

Tyr grinned. "That girl is a lot more mature than I give her credit for."

"That is true."

They finished eating. Tyr put up the plates. "So what do we do now?" He wondered.

Luna didn't say anything, but she got up, went over to the living room couch, and sat down. She turned on the TV. Tyr went over and joined her, sitting beside her. They stayed that way for a bit. Over time, Tyr noticed Luna scooting ever closer to him. Every minute or so, he felt her move over. Then she was resting against his shoulder. Then with an exasperated sigh, she stood up, moved in front of him, and sat down in his lap.

"Um… Luna? Is something up?"

"I want… you to be affectionate with me."

"So you sat in my lap?"

"I do not know how this whole 'girlfriend' thing works!" She cried, out, exasperated. "I know what it means to be one, but not what I must do!"

Tyr slipped his arms around her to comfort her. "Hey, you don't have to know everything. Part of being in a relationship is to work together."

"I… I see. Very well then." She shifted slightly. "Tyr… um… something is poking me…"

"You didn't think you could simply sit on my lap and not have anything happen to you, did you?"

"Oh! Oh my…"

-x-

"It's nice to see Pinkie is back to her usual self," Rarity said. She grimaced a bit as she realized what she said. "Is it too much to ask for her to be a little less… I don't know, Pinkie?"

"You know that's not possible," Twilight said. "After everything that happened yesterday…"

"Has anyone spoken to Tyr or Luna since then?"

"No, I haven't heard from either of them."

"Think we should… check up on them?"

"We should!" Pinkie suddenly appeared. "I've still got to apologize to Luna and Tyr for all the trouble I caused!"

"Well, we can go to Tyr's house first. It's on the way to Luna's anyway."

"Okay! And we can pick up Fluttershy and Rainbow and AJ on the way too!"

Rarity frowned. "Why are we getting them too?"

"Because when someone is feeling down, the best thing to do is surround them with friends!"

"That's… actually true."

"But…" Twilight looked around. "I have to prepare for…"

"We need to get you out of here, darling!" Rarity said. "You've been running yourself ragged in here!"

"But… my preparations…"

"Your preparations can wait. You're the Princess of Friendship, right? Isn't it your job to make sure your friends are alright?"

"I mean… well, yeah, but…"

"Just go already!" Spike said, rolling his eyes from the library's main desk. "Jeez, you think the place will burn down with you not here."

"But…" She sighed. "Fine. At least let me comb my hair and tail…"

"I'll handle that, let's just go!"

They met up with Applejack and the other two girls almost immediately. "Oh, hello everybody," Fluttershy said as they all met outside of a restaurant.

"What are you girls doing?" Dash asked, frowning.

"We're going to go see Tyr!" Pinkie said.

"Now why're y'all going to do that?" AJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Rarity said with a slight chuckle. "That is a bit a story to tell…"

AJ was partly aware of what happened, so the recap was more for Dash and Fluttershy's benefit. "Oh my," Fluttershy said once Twilight had finished. "Luna must have been really upset…"

"But you guys aren't together, right?" Dash asked Rarity. She shook her head. "So then what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is Luna thought Tyr lied to her," Twilight said. "I wonder if he ever managed to talk to her…"

"Well, we're going over to see him, right?" Dash asked. "So let's ask him when we get there!"

"He'll probably be really surprised," Fluttershy murmured.

"Surprises are always good!" Pinkie assured her.

"We should get moving," Twilight said.

The other girls agreed and they walked the rest of the way to Tyr's house. As the only one who had actually been over, AJ led the way. "I've never seen his house," Fluttershy said quietly, looking up at it in awe.

"It is pretty big," Dash admitted. "But isn't it just him and Sherry living here?"

"That's all I reckon," AJ said. "Applebloom said he's got enough room for a family of five in there, with guests."

"It is big," Twilight said. "Come on, let's not waste time—"

"Heeeeeey!" Pinkie was already at the door. "Tyr, are you guys—hey, it's open!"

They all came over to their pink friend and found that the door was indeed open. Pinkie pushed the door open and then they could hear voices. "Tyr, stop!"

"What, does that tickle?"

"No… well, yes it does, but it feels funny…"

"Not good?"

"No, it feels good… But at this rate… I thought we were going to take a break?"

"Did you want to?"

"Eek! My, your libido is immense…"

"Tyr!" Pinkie cried out, before anyone could stop her. But it wasn't Tyr who sat up from the couch.

"Pinkie Pie?" Luna sat up in shock. She was still wearing Tyr's shirt.

"The hell…?" Tyr sat up too, forcing Luna to shift back a bit.

"It seems you are indeed quite… manly," Rarity said, looking over his shirtless chest.

"I told you he'd be surprised!" Fluttershy squeaked, blushing and hiding her face.

"Seems we didn't have much reason to worry," Twilight said flatly, narrowing her eyes. "Whatever happened to make you guys make up so quickly?"

Luna and Tyr shared a look. "You guys may want me to put a shirt on first," He said with a sigh.

"That would be nice," Twilight said.

"Hey, you could always just show off that body of yours for us," Dash teased.

Luna fixed her with a glare. "Tyr belongs to me now, Dash." She said quietly.

"I'm just teasing!"

Luna kept her serious look for a moment longer, before breaking into giggles. "I was only joking, Rainbow Dash."

"W-what? Luna was teasing me?" Dash blinked. "What did you do, Tyr?"

The man stood. "I didn't do anything. Well, apart from loving her."

He moved over to the foot of the stairs. Suddenly, everyone gasped. "Tyr… what in the world…?" Twilight murmured.

"What? Luna, you didn't leave scratch marks on my back, did you?"

"That is no scratch mark," Luna said, full of wonder.

Tyr went into the downstairs bathroom, pulled out a hand held mirror, and moved so he could see his back. The girls had followed, and everyone saw his face when he finally saw what it was. Just below his right shoulder blade was a shield emblem with a moon emblazoned in the middle of it. "…Where did this come from?"

"You're not Equestrian, so how do you have a Cutie Mark…?"

"Seems some of our magic came over with us," Luna murmured, reaching up to touch the mark. The shield was silver in color, while the moon was a dark violet. "It's the same shape as mine…"

"I guess that settles that," Rarity said, walking out of the bathroom. The other girls and Tyr followed.

"What are you talking about?" AJ asked.

"What Tyr's destiny is." She smiled knowingly. "It seems our dear Princess of the Night has a new bodyguard."

Tyr glanced over at Luna. She seemed deep in thought, before looking up at him. "…If that is the case, I could choose no better companion."

"But you still haven't told us the story of what got you two together!" Pinkie said.

Tyr sighed. "You still haven't let me get a shirt to put on…"

-x-

After Tyr was sufficiently clothed, Luna retold the story, starting from when She left the library. After leaving for work, she had noticed a group of people following her, but she had assumed they were not related to her at all. It wasn't until she found them waiting on her after her shift was over that she suspected something to be wrong. She had managed to send off the text to Tyr before they had grabbed her. Luna had tried to escape, but they cornered her. Then, it was just hoping he came. "So Tyr came riding up like a knight in shining armor, huh…" Rarity said dreamily. "How romantic."

"Not sure how you get romantic from all of that, sugarcube," AJ said dryly.

"What, you don't? Well, that doesn't surprise me. You don't have a romantic bone in your body."

"Human bodies have romantic bones?" Pinkie squealed excitedly.

AJ ignored her, instead focusing on Rarity. "Well, we seem to be hearing a lot about love from someone who hasn't found it yet."

"I believe we are in the same boat in that regard," Rarity snapped, frowning at her southern friend.

"Girls, stop," Twilight said. The two stopped speaking, but continued to glare at one another. "Goodness. Well, I'm glad you're both safe. You didn't get hurt too bad, did you Tyr?"

"Just a few bruises. Nothing that won't heal though."

"You threw yourself into danger like that without worry…" Fluttershy said quietly.

"I was mostly thinking of Luna at the time," Tyr admitted. Luna grabbed his arm and moved closer to him.

"Well, that's still awesome in my book," Dash said with an appreciative nod.

"Glad I've earned Dash's approval," Tyr said with a roll of his eyes.

"Hey! My approval is awesome!"

"If you say so…"

Twilight sighed. "Can any of my friends resist teasing the others…?"

"We probably should go," Rarity said shortly, breaking off her staring contest with AJ. "We don't want to impose on Tyr and Luna's… private time."

"Oh that's right!" Twilight jumped up. "I still have a lot of preparations to do!"

"So do we!" Pinkie sang, falling into AJ's lap.

"What are you two doing?"

"There's a big party planned tomorrow, and we're catering!"

"Sounds like a lot of work," Tyr said.

"It's not that big of a shindig," AJ assured him. "It was more like a banquet for some big important types."

"Still a party!"

"I believe a banquet requires a finer touch, Pinkie," Rarity said.

"What, you don't think I can't plan a fancy party?"

"Not that, but… no games?"

"Course not, silly! I'm not planning it, I'm _catering_. I just have to provide the best cake ever baked!"

"I suppose that's true…"

"Well, we should still get out of here," AJ said, seeing Twilight politely take her leave. "Come on, Pinkie. We gotta go work."

They got up and left too. Fluttershy stood up. "Dash, we should be going too," she said quietly.

"Come on, Flutters," Dash said. "We can't just hang?"

"No, you two can just watch Luna and I be lovey-dovey with each other," Tyr joked, pulling Luna into his lap and resting his chin on her head. His midnight princess giggled. Although he got obvious eye roll from Dash, Fluttershy's reaction was different than expected. Instead of blushing and looking away, she suddenly looked sad. "Fluttershy? Is something wrong?"

Fluttershy looked at him with a pained look before looking away. "It's… nothing you need to worry about. Dash, I'm leaving."

With that, she left. "Wait, Flutters!" Dash called after her. "Shy, wait!" She went running off after her.

That left Tyr, Luna, and Rarity. "Those girls," Rarity said with a sigh. She glanced over. "Tyr! What happened to the coat I made for you?"

"Take a guess," Tyr replied.

Rarity only had to think for a moment. "Oh! I apologize. But it is nice," She said, murmuring.

"What?"

"That I helped you. I mean, it wasn't much to be sure, but it did take some of the hits for you."

"It was very warm," Luna added.

"And that! Oh, I was a part of new love!" Rarity giggled. "Now, if only Tyr had a handsome brother…"

"Only sisters, sorry," Tyr told her.

"Drat. Oh well. My knight in shining armor will come eventually."

"Be careful with that. Injuries are almost a guarantee."

Rarity smiled and picked up the destroyed jacket. "I'll repair… make you a new one. Free of charge, of course."

"…Thanks, Rarity."

"No problem, darling! However, do you have dress clothes for the banquet?"

"Um… what?"

"You are aware you're going, right?"

"Why am I going?"

Luna looked up at him. "As my date, of course. I was a princess, remember?"

Rarity had a sparkle in her eye. "If you don't have anything…"

Tyr sighed. "…Damn it."

-x-

"You look good; I don't know why you're complaining." Luna said with a soft laugh.

"Don't you think this is a bit much? I feel overdressed." Tyr tugged at his tie. It had been a long time since he had had to wear a suit, and this felt off to him.

"You'll get used to it in time, my beloved." Luna stood up a bit to kiss him. Tyr smiled and pulled her close.

"As long as I have you, I should be." Tyr looked over the woman he could call his own. She was dressed in midnight blue off the shoulder dress with silver tones, and silver moons decorated the hem and neckline. Tyr noticed she wore a lot of moon related jewelry, such as earrings and a necklace. Her long hair was left to freely roll down her back and around her face, while her tail was braided and tied with a silver bow.

Tyr on the other hand was wearing a solid black three-piece suit with a moon decorated tie, moon shaped cufflinks, and a shield pin on his lapel. "I don't even know where Rarity finds this stuff…"

"Come. We should go in."

The town hall was a decently sized building, decorated with gothic designs and tall marble plinths. Tyr felt Luna slip one arm into the crook of his as they walked inside. With the midnight beauty on his arm, Tyr felt a proud smile grow on his face. They entered the front hall and there were a few well-dressed couples there, but most were walking towards the ballroom. "This really is high class, isn't it?" Tyr whispered.

"Such occurrences are not unheard of amongst nobility."

"My town isn't too small, but I didn't expect this many people here," Tyr admitted as they entered the ballroom.

"Most of them aren't from around here," A cheery voice told them. They both turned to find Pinkie Pie standing there in a bright pink and yellow dress. She smiled widely. "Rarity says that this is more like a central point for the locals to meet!"

"Sounds about right," Tyr admitted. "So… how's it going, Pinkie?"

"Wonderful! AJ's enjoying herself in the kitchen and Rarity… Except for Rarity. She's trying to get… um… 'in' with the high class people."

"Oh, Rarity," Luna sighed. A short ways away the seamstress was showing off her bejeweled dress to a group of upper class. "Always trying to better herself…"

"What is this whole thing about anyway?" Tyr asked.

"I believe it was a banquet put on in my honor," a gentle voice said with the hint of a laugh. "Although, I don't think I merit that much attention."

Tyr turned around and found himself face to face with a tall, impossibly brilliant woman with marble white skin, soft violet eyes, and long flowing hair made up of multiple different morning time colors: light pink, baby blue, bright green and soft cerulean. She had a curious smile on her face, like she knew a joke that she wasn't telling. "W-who are you?" Tyr stammered, unable to process how this woman had managed to sneak up on him. Especially in that bright gold and white dress!

A sparkle ran through her eyes. "I should be asking you that, given that you are my little sister's date tonight."

Tyr shot a worried glance at Luna. "Your… sister?"

Luna nodded, surprise on her face as well. "Tyr… meet Celestia, my older sister. Tia, this is Tyr, my… my…"

"Tyr is her boyfriend!" Pinkie exclaimed, unable to control herself. Celestia raised one delicate eyebrow.

"Boyfriend?" Celestia's face changed to one of disappointment. "Luna, I do not approve…"

Tyr felt his heart sink. Only a few minutes into this meeting and already Luna's sister didn't like him? Part of him almost wanted to tell her he didn't care, but he held back. "Sister…!" Luna's eyes widened.

Celestia kept her stern look for a moment longer before breaking into a wide grin. "—I don't approve of you not telling me before-hand! I mean, my little sister falling in love…!"

Tyr felt the weight on him lift. Luna seemed relieved as well. "So… you like him, Tia?"

"I can only go by appearances for now," her sister replied, looking over Tyr. "But I will be watching," She added with a wink.

"I guess that's okay…" Tyr muttered. Luna shot him a look, but Celestia laughed softly.

"It seems it's not only Twilight Sparkle that can surround herself with interesting people," She said.

"Tyr's been like really cool since he met all of us!" Pinkie said excitedly. "He even saved Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Luna!"

"Saved…?" Celestia looked over at Tyr, curiosity on her face.

"It wasn't anything special," Tyr said nervously.

There was a soft clinking of glass as a speaker rose at the front to welcome everyone to the banquet. "Hm, it seems we'll have to postpone our little discussion until later," Celestia said.

"Is there room at our table for Tyr?" Luna asked suddenly. Tyr realized he hadn't thought about seating arrangements.

"There's always room for another," Celestia said with a nod. "However, the company we keep may not be as… clear cut as Tyr is."

Tyr sighed. He hated dealing with rich people. It was even more evident as they took their seats around a large circular table. He sat on Luna's left while Celestia took her sister's other side. Any hopes of Rarity joining them were dashed when she sat down at a table full of older gentlemen and their wives. Pinkie was off in the kitchen, and now Tyr was left with a table full of upper crust. "Who is this man?" One such affluent gentleman demanded as Tyr sat down. "I do not believe I recognize him."

"Mister Hartmann," Celestia said smoothly. "Tyr is a local resident."

"Now why on earth would they let him in here?" The woman to Hartmann's left said. "Sure, he cleans up well, but doesn't anyone…?"

"Tyr is my… boyfriend," Luna murmured softly. All eyes turned to her. Instead of surprise at her words, it sounded like they were more intrigued by her.

"Oh, Celestia, I didn't know you had a sister." Another man said. He gave Luna an appreciative look. "A fairly attractive young woman, to be sure."

"She almost looks like a doll!" A woman said.

Tyr felt a little heat rise in his cheeks. Celestia gave him a worried a look before addressing the man. "Irons, wasn't it? Yes, this is my younger sister Luna."

Hartmann frowned. "You said you were a princess. If that's true…"

"In Equestria, my sister and I ruled jointly."

"How did that work, exactly?"

"I held court during the day, while Luna held court at night. It helped keep us both rested."

"Hah! A fine arrangement." Irons said. "But who was really in charge?"

"Yes dear, tell us!" another woman said.

"Neither Celestia or myself held ultimate authority," Luna said, picking her words carefully.

"Equestrian politics sounds extremely interesting," Hartmann said, almost completely cutting Luna off.

"Two Princesses, how interesting!"

"We actually had four," Celestia admitted. "Although only Luna and myself held any authority over Equestria."

"My…"

The talks continued, and a number of other 'important figures' came to the table to talk to Celestia. As she was the de facto leader of the Equestrians in the human world, it wasn't too surprising they all wanted to suck up to her or make sure she knew them. Luna was ignored even when she spoke up, and Tyr was feeling the small girl beside him become even smaller as she retreated into herself. He himself was hearing the whispers that he had no business being there. In the sea of all the upper crust, they were lost. Celestia tried to get her sister involved, but after the first instance, had tried to divert attention from her sister who had retreated into herself like the moon at dawn. Only a crash from across the hall seemed to draw her out for a moment.

"I'm so sorry!" Pinkie Pie was apologizing profusely to a well dressed woman. She was vainly trying to scrape a piece of cake off the woman's dress.

"This is what we get with local help!" The woman screeched, causing Pinkie to recoil.

"It was an accident! I didn't see you…"

"Obviously not! I'm so much above you after all!" The other rich folk laughed at that, and Pinkie shrunk back. Her trademark curly hair began to deflate. "I knew we should have hired professional help for this occasion."

"It wasn't my fault!" Pinkie said, trying to stand up for herself. She glanced over and saw Rarity standing nearby. "Rarity! You saw, didn't you? I didn't do it on purpose!"

Eyes turned to the seamstress. For once, Tyr saw Rarity look nervous under the spotlight. "Pinkie—er, Pinkamena…" Rarity said slowly. "You… really should have watched where you were going…"

Pinkie stared at her friend for a long time. Then, with a sound like air rushing out of a balloon, her hair fell as straight as a knife edge. Luna rose from her seat. "Pinkie Pie…!"

"…I see." Pinkie said quietly. She picked up her discarded tray of cake slices, dusted off her dress, and straightened up. "Well then. I'm sorry to have disturbed you all."

She turned sharply on her heel and went back into the kitchen. Silence reigned for a bit before the woman from before laughed quietly. "Middle class. All you have to do is put them in their place and—"

"I've heard enough," Tyr said sharply. He stood up from his seat, everyone looking towards him. "I'm getting sick and tired of listening to all of this."

Hartmann rose, glaring at him. "Look here, young man, we've tolerated your presence this whole night—"

"You've ignored me," Tyr corrected. "And Luna too. I could have dealt with it if it was just me you were belittling, but I will not stand for you disrespecting Luna. She's Celestia's sister damn it; and you've treated her like she didn't exist right next to her!"

"You have no right to talk to me like that!"

Tyr left his seat and stood directly in front of Hartmann. "I have the right to speak any way I damn well please, and _you_ have no right to think your money protects you in this town. You'll bite off a lot more than you can chew."

"Yo Tyr!" A big man in a chef's outfit walked out of the kitchen. He was followed by several others of varying ethnicities and builds, all in kitchen attire. "What's going on out here?"

"Reminding the outsiders what kind of town this is," Tyr said quietly. "How's the family, Marcus?"

"Good. Yvonne wanted to invite you over for dinner." He grinned. "You can bring that cute one with you," He nodded towards Luna.

"Wouldn't leave her behind for the world."

Silence reigned for a long minute. Luna moved up beside Tyr and tugged on his sleeve. "Tyr. Let's go."

"You sure?" Tyr glanced over at her.

"As much as I would like to unleash my demon," She said with a soft smile, "I believe you have done enough, love."

Tyr backed off. "Disrespect another of my friends, or my girlfriend, or my town again, and you will be seeing me again." He shot a wave off at the kitchen staff. "See ya, Marcus."

Marcus nodded and led his crew back into the kitchen. Luna slipped her arm into Tyr's and they made to leave. "Luna, Tyr, hold a moment," Celestia said. She rose as well. "I would like to speak to you two."

She joined them as they went out into the foyer. It was quiet there, and Tyr let out a breath as he realized he had gotten so riled up in front of Celestia. He was prepared for her to chew him out, say Luna didn't need an impulsive man…

She laughed.

It was a soft chuckle at first, before growing into a full laugh that almost had her doubled over at the waist. Luna and Tyr looked at her in shock before the laughter became contagious and the three of them were laughing together. After a minute, they finally recovered. Celestia was wiping a tear from her eye. "You're more of a man than I imagined, Tyr," She said.

"Thank… you?" Tyr smiled. "But why did you let that happen? It was a powder keg, just waiting to blow."

"I like to play with fire," Celestia said with a smile.

"Tia, you know you shouldn't do things like this!" Luna said between laughs. "I was afraid of Tyr hitting that man!"

"He would have deserved it," Celestia answered with a nonchalant shrug. "I would have done the same, had he not done so. No one disrespects my sister."

"Tia…"

Celestia turned to Tyr. "You are a good man for my sister, Tyr. I feel like it is safe to leave her in your care."

"You have no idea," Luna murmured, moving closer to him. He put an arm around her shoulders.

"That… really means a lot, Miss Celestia."

"Oh no, none of that!" Celestia smiled. "Considering how smitten Lulu is with you, you may as well call me Tia."

"Tia!" Luna blushed.

"Oh, I said your nickname, didn't I?" She stuck out her tongue. "Oops."

"You did that on purpose!"

While the two sisters bickered, Tyr noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A certain blonde was talking quietly with a pink ghost. It was AJ and Pinkie. "Lulu, I'll be right back," Tyr said. He headed over to his friends.

"Ah, okay," Luna said, seeing him go. "Hey, wait!"

"Hey you two," Tyr said, coming up to the two girls. "Pinkie… you okay?"

The deflated pink balloon smiled softly at him. "I heard what you said from the kitchen," she said. "It was… pretty cool."

"I was sick of the way they treated us all," Tyr admitted.

"I was fixing to come out and give em a piece of my mind too, sugarcube," AJ said.

"It's not that," Pinkie said. "I've dealt with people like that before. It doesn't bother me… much.

Tyr frowned. "…Let me guess. It was Rarity?"

Pinkie looked up at him. "Why? Why would she say something like that? I thought we were friends…"

"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity came running—walking quickly, as she was wearing heels—over to them. "There you are! I thought you had gone home already!"

"I'm just leaving," Pinkie said flatly, turning away.

"Pinkie…" Rarity cooed, catching her friend's shoulder. "You know I didn't mean that, darling. It's… a mask I have to wear at things like this."

"A mask?" Pinkie turned back around. Her eyes were dead. "So how am I supposed to know if you're wearing one right now?"

The words cut Rarity visibly, as she flinched back. "Pinkie dear, you know that's not…"

"I always thought we were friends, Rarity. That you weren't just another person only in it for the fame and fortune." Pinkie turned away. "I don't want to talk to you any more, Rarity. So… go back to your masquerade ball. That's one party I don't want to be part of. Bye AJ. Bye Tyr."

She left. Rarity looked like she was going to call out after her, but AJ cut her off. "I think you've said enough, Rarity."

"I need to apologize—

AJ slapped her. Not too hard, but hard enough. Rarity looked at her in shock. "I can't understand you sometimes sugarcube," AJ said evenly. "You take on these… personas of yours just to make nice with the rich folk. I understand that's what you have to do, but as a friend, I can't right accept what you did to Pinkie tonight. You hung her out to dry."

Rarity looked down at her feet. "I'm… I'm sorry…"

"The one you shoulda said that to is already long gone." AJ sighed. "I gotta get back to work. Gotta cover for Pinkie now that she's gone. See ya, Rarity. Night Tyr."

She left too. Tyr was left with Rarity. She looked over at him. "I… I haven't lost your friendship, have I, Tyr?"

"…No Rarity. But I don't know what to do here. I've only known Pinkie for a little while, but I've never seen her like this. I can't do much here."

Rarity let out a deep breath. "I'll… go back in then." She left, heels clicking softly as she left. Luna came over as he was trying to figure out what he could do.

"Tyr."

"Yes Luna?"

"Is everything okay?"

"…Not particularly."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"…I don't know."

"Then we should go talk to Twilight."

Tyr glanced over at her. "Why? What could Twilight know? What, she has a book on 'How to mend broken friendships'?"

"No… but she is the Princess of Friendship."

"…The what of what?"


	7. Chapter 6: Monochrome Rainbows

Chapter 6: Monochrome Rainbows

"So we're going to see Twilight Sparkle first thing today, correct?" Luna asked as Tyr made breakfast.

"Why are you guys going to see Twilight?" Sherry asked.

"We… have some questions for her," Tyr said. He had told Luna the details about what had happened last night, but not Sherry. He set out the plates as usual so they could eat.

"Hm… okay. I was going to go by the cake shop after school, is that okay, Dad?"

Tyr and Luna shared a look. "Um… Pinkie said she wasn't feeling well last night, so she may not be there."

"Oh… I guess I could ask Mrs. Cake to let me help out then…"

"Ah, you'll be late, Sherry," Luna said.

"Oh, darn!" She rushed to the door. "Having Luna over is making me have to rush every day!"

She ran out the door. "We should go too," Tyr said.

"You're right."

"You want to ride, or…"

"We can walk. It isn't that far, right? Plus, it's actually a beautiful day."

They left the house arm in arm. Luna was right, it was a beautiful day. But Tyr felt like the girl on his arm didn't feel as comfortable during the day as during the night. Guess that's what comes with being Princess of the Night. As they walked, Tyr could see a lot of people looking their way. A human/Equestrian couple was probably still a bit of a rarity, so it was to be expected. Tyr was still getting used to feeling Luna's tail swish against him as they walked.

"Tyr. I have something I want to ask you."

"Go ahead, you can ask me whatever."

"…Would you let me move in with you?"

Tyr tripped, but caught himself at the last second. "You… you what!?"

"I was… thinking about it last night. Whenever I'm in my apartment, I always feel alone…" She looked down at the ground. "It seemed easier… you wouldn't have to worry as much, and we could… you know… be together whenever we wished…"

"Wow. Luna, I…"

She blushed furiously, color quickly rising to her pale cheeks. "It was a strange request, forget—"

Tyr kissed her. "Luna. Nothing would make me happier than to have you move in with me."

"Tyr…"

"So affectionate even this early, hm?"

They cut their embrace short, and turned to the voice. It was Celestia. To Tyr's surprise, she was dressed in a formal white blouse and pink jacket with a matching pencil skirt. "T-Tia!" Luna exclaimed.

"Celestia!" Tyr blinked. "You… why are you here?"

"I've decided to move to this town," She said. "A large portion of my people are here, and this town is… much quieter than Canterlot was. Plus, I think I'll enjoy having Twilight, her friends, my dear sister, and her boyfriend nearby to spend time with."

"If you're that interested in me," Tyr said. He had felt nervous, but Celestia's voice had that calming quality to it. Celestia simply smiled.

"So, where are you two off to?"

"We are going to go see Twilight Sparkle," Luna said. "We require her help for a… problem we have found."

"I see. As it stands, I was on my way to visit my faithful student as well. We can walk together."

"That's alright with me," Tyr said, not realizing what was about to happen. As Celestia moved to join them on their walk, he noticed something.

She placed herself on the side opposite her sister, putting Tyr in the middle. "Oh the looks you'll be getting now," Celestia whispered, loud enough for only him to hear.

"You sly devil," Tyr whispered back. Celestia giggled.

Celestia was pleasant company, Tyr realized. She was both serious and silly, and Luna seemed happy to have her around. Like the sun and moon, he thought to himself. The walk to the library went by a lot quicker than usual. "Twilight!" Tyr called, heading into the library.

"Tyr!" Twilight looked up from her book to greet him. She smiled. "Here for a book?"

"More of a personal visit," Celestia said, coming inside.

Twilight's smile persisted for a moment as she processed the woman before her. Then, her jaw dropped. A moment later, her mouth snapped shut, she squeezed her eyes closed, then screamed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Did I surprise you?" Celestia said with a small laugh.

"Surprise me? Of course you did! I wasn't prepared…!"

"Twilight Sparkle." The voice was gentle. "You don't always have to do anything big for when I come to visit."

"Yeah, considering you're moving into town," Tyr said.

Twilight looked from Tyr to Celestia. "You're… moving here? But… your diplomatic duties…"

"Can be handled from here," Celestia assured her. "Plus, I was hoping my sister would care to help me?"

"Of course, Tia," Luna said. She thought for a moment. "But on one condition."

"A condition? You know I would not refuse you anything, Luna."

"I would like for Tyr to become my body guard."

Celestia nodded. "I will allow that as long as you do one thing for me."

"What is it?"

"Tell me what happened with your job at the club."

Luna froze up. "I… very well. Tyr, present our issue to Twilight. I will speak to my sister in private."

As the two sisters moved off to a side room, Tyr moved over to Twilight. She seemed confused. "Luna wanted to talk to me about something?"

"We both did. It's… about Pinkie and Rarity."

"Pinkie and Rarity?" Twilight frowned. "I thought it was AJ and Rarity?"

"AJ and… What?"

"I saw Applejack and Rarity arguing this morning on my way here," Twilight explained. "It looked pretty bad, but before I could do anything, AJ said something and left. Rarity looked pretty broken up about it and locked herself in the Boutique."

"This is starting to fall apart faster than I thought," Tyr murmured. "…So you haven't seen Pinkie?"

"No… What exactly happened?"

"Well…" They were interrupted by the front door slamming open. "The hell—Fluttershy?"

The timid girl looked rough. Her pink hair was disheveled, there was a bruise on her cheek, and she was panting heavily. Dark lines ran down her face where she had been crying. "Flutter…shy?" Twilight said, rising from her seat. "What happened to you?"

Fluttershy dropped to her knees, sobbing loudly. "I can't do this anymore," She cried. "I can't. I won't!"

"Fluttershy…" Tyr was paralyzed with concern.

"Shy," Twilight went over to her. "What happened?"

"We broke up," Fluttershy said quietly. Sobs still racked her body, and she lurched with each sniffle.

"You broke up? With who?" Tyr frowned. He hadn't even realized Fluttershy was in a relationship.

"I'm done," Fluttershy said. She wiped her face. Then, in a voice no louder than a whisper, she said, "I broke up with Rainbow Dash."

"What!?" The exclamation of surprise came from Twilight. "You and… and Rainbow Dash were together…?"

"I'm sure you all must be disgusted with me…" Fluttershy mumbled. "Loving another girl…"

"If you love someone, that's all that matters," Twilight said, coming over. She knelt next to the distraught girl. "Cadance explained that to me. But obviously, in your case, it was one sided?"

Fluttershy seemed unsure. "At least… I hope it wasn't one sided… at some point…"

"You need to tell us what happened," Tyr said as gently as possible.

As Fluttershy began to speak, Tyr leaned back against the main desk. Fluttershy and Rainbow were gay? That was… surprising. Even more so that they were dating. They just didn't seem… compatible.

"I told Dash I was jealous of Tyr and Luna," Fluttershy was telling Twilight. "You two were happy and affectionate and I wanted that too. Dash didn't. She only wanted me when it was convenient and… we had an argument and she hit me."

"She hit you?" Tyr narrowed her eyes.

"She was angry! I… she didn't mean to, and she started to apologize…"

"That doesn't forgive what she did."

"Tyr," Twilight said evenly. "Fluttershy is distraught."

"I… I apologize."

"When I said I wanted to break up, she got all funny," Fluttershy said, continuing. "And then she said it was fine, she didn't love me anymore." As she said those words, she burst into sobs again.

"I didn't ever realize you and Dash were together," Twilight murmured, putting her arms around her. "I thought it wasn't that strange since you two were childhood friends. Guess I need to be more attentive to my friends…"

"We were trying to keep it a secret that we were… um… gay." Fluttershy admitted, rubbing her eyes. "We didn't want you guys to hate us…"

"Hate's a strong word, sugarcube."

Everyone looked up to see AJ standing in the doorway. "My, the surprise visitors keep coming," Tyr murmured.

"Applejack?" Fluttershy jumped. "When… how long…"

"Since ya said you didn't know if Dash loved you." AJ sighed. "I'm… just surprised. I didn't know y'all two were like that."

"Well, we aren't together anymore. Just… poof. Over."

Twilight stood to face her southern friend. "AJ, I need to know. What did you say to Rarity?"

AJ's face fell. "…I dun wanna talk about it. Shouldn't we be focused on Shy?"

"Applejack!" Twilight frowned. "Four of our friends are hurting, and I need to know why!"

"I told little miss prissy that the reason no one will be her 'knight in shining armor' is that she's setting her standards too damn high!" AJ snapped. The sudden sharpness made Twilight flinch back. "I told her that Pinkie might be too far gone for us to get her back now because of her. That she killed her own friendship. That she… killed our friendship."

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?"

"She let Pinkie be badmouthed by all those fancy types! If it wasn't for Tyr those stuck ups would a kept talking bad about us all night!"

"But Rarity wasn't trying to be mean…"

"Twilight Sparkle. For someone so smart you sure are dumb as a doornail." AJ's expression darkened. "That Rarity may be generous, but she's willing to hurt her own friends for herself. She's still just a stuck up, selfish—"

"Applejack!" Twilight said sharply. "I'm not condoning what Rarity did, but there is no reason to talk about her like that!"

"You know damn well Rarity would leave us all behind if she could have that fancy life she always wanted!" AJ was furious. "And now I gotta find out that Dash had gone and broken Fluttershy's heart? What do you want me to feel here!?"

"Feel some sympathy! Rarity doesn't have it easy either!" Twilight was just as angry. "None of us have had it easy at all since the Merge!"

AJ stared at Twilight for a long moment. When she spoke again, it was in an even tone. "…I see. So I'm supposed to just excuse what Rarity did just cause 'she has it hard'? I'm just supposed to talk to Dash all normal like when I know Shy is like this? Just because the world decided to screw with all of us? I'm sorry Twi, but that ain't happening. I ain't about to lie just cause you—"

The slap that Twilight gave her was sharp, punctuated, and left a red mark on AJ's skin. "…Get out of my library, Applejack."

AJ was silent. Then she gave a curt nod. "Eeyup." She growled out, tipping her hat as she walked out. Twilight watched her go. She glanced down at her throbbing hand, and suddenly she realized what she had just done.

"Oh dear Celestia, what have I done…?" She slid to her knees.

Celestia and Luna came back. Both looked concerned. "What happened? We heard a loud sound," Luna asked.

"AJ was here," Twilight said softly.

Celestia frowned, not understanding. "What? Where did she go?"

Twilight hugged herself. Her voice was soft and threatening to break. "I don't know. I don't know, and that scares me."

"We need to go after her," Tyr said. "We can't just let AJ leave like that!"

"After what I just did? I can't face her right now," Twilight murmured.

Luna looked to Tyr for an explanation. Before he could say anything, Fluttershy stood up and turned to him. "I'm going with you," She said softly.

"What? But…"

"I want to help Applejack. She's my friend. And… I want to apologize to Dash as well."

"You will not be leaving me behind," Luna pointed out.

"Alright then," Tyr said. "Let's hurry. She can't have gotten too far."

-x-

There were too many thoughts running through AJ's head as she walked away from the library. Twilight had actually hit her. Two of her friends were locking themselves up, while two more were avoiding each other. And now she and Twi were at odds. "What happened to all of us…"She muttered ruefully. As she rounded a corner, she came face to face with the last person she wanted to see.

"Oh," Rainbow Dash said. "Hey Applejack."

"Dash." AJ said curtly.

"So what's up? …You haven't seen Fluttershy, have you?"

"…I have."

Dash sighed. "You want to hit me, don't you?"

"Eeyup."

"You know I'm gonna hit back, right?"

"I'm counting on it."

They stood there in each other's faces for a long moment. Then, without warning, AJ grabbed Dash's collar, held her out at arm's length, and punched her square in the face. Rolling with the blow, Dash broke free and hit AJ in the side. The blow barely fazed the country girl, and she struck again, attacking Dash with cold fury. To her credit, the athlete fought back, and even got a few hits in. But where Dash was fast, AJ was strong. In a stand up slug fest, Applejack was going to win. A barely missed punch sent Dash staggering back, and she tripped over the back wheel of her bike. She sat down hard, and AJ leapt on her, pinning her to the ground. Unable to move, Dash tried to protect herself and take opportunistic shots up at her attacker. But with AJ holding her down, there was nothing she could do.

"Applejack!" A male voice cried.

A particularly brutal punch caught Dash along the side of her jaw, dislocating it. "How dare you!" AJ was yelling. "She was the sweetest one outta the bunch, and you broke her heart! How! Could! You!"

Dash blacked out for a split second as a fist hit her in the forehead. She was so dazed at that point that she couldn't even defend herself. AJ hit her one more time before another voice called out. "Applejack!"

That made AJ pause. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, and blood flowed from a cut above her eye. The girl below her was worse off, with a black eye in addition to all the other bruises. "God, what did you do to her face…?" The first voice murmured.

AJ got up, and found Tyr, Fluttershy, and Luna standing there. "Were you planning to kill her?" Luna asked.

"…Not at first," AJ said. "I… when I thought about what she did to you, Fluttershy…"

Tyr knelt beside Dash. "…She's out cold. I figured you were strong AJ, but this was… brutal."

"You didn't have to do this, Applejack…" Fluttershy said. "Dash and I… we probably are better off just as friends. I loved her, and I believe at one point she loved me too. But… it's over."

"But, Fluttershy…"

"I don't want to lose my friends," Fluttershy said quietly. She began to cry. "I hate this…!"

"I… I'm sorry sugarcube. I let my feelings get the best of me. I just couldn't stand seeing you hurt."

Fluttershy went over to her and touched her face with one delicate hand. "You've endured a lot of pain today…"

"I… I have to go." AJ shook off Fluttershy's hand and took off running.

"AJ, wait!" Fluttershy cried, but it was too late. "She's… gone."

Tyr lifted up Dash in his arms. "We need to get her to a hospital. We'll have to chase her later."

"But… but!"

Tyr didn't respond, instead heading towards the hospital. Today had really gone all wrong from the beginning, hadn't it?


	8. Chapter 7: Diamonds, Rubies,and Balloons

Chapter 7: Diamonds, Rubies, and Balloons

"The doctors said she has a minor concussion," Tyr said. He, Luna, and Fluttershy stood just outside of Dash's hospital room. "She's asleep right now, but she should recover."

"What is happening to us…?" Fluttershy slid into a chair. She hung her head. "The six of us… we were so close before… and now everything is falling apart…"

She began to cry. Tyr and Luna stood in silence. It was a long time before either of them spoke. "I need to go speak to my sister," Luna said. "She'll want to hear about this."

She and Tyr shared a kiss. "I'll see you later then?" Tyr asked.

"Of course." She smiled. "Farewell, Fluttershy."

"Okay Luna." Fluttershy sniffed.

She left. Tyr sighed. "I should head home too. Are you going to stay?"

"I'll… stay, I guess. Until she wakes up. She should have a friendly face there when she wakes up."

"You sure you'll be fine?"

"I'm… sure. I can handle it, Tyr."

"Text me if anything changes, alright?"

She nodded. Tyr left the hospital, surprised to find it was still bright out. Well, it was still the middle of the day. Tyr passed by Carousel Boutique and paused. It was closed, obviously. But he thought something had passed in front of the window… Suddenly, the front door opened ever so slightly. "Wait, what? Rarity?"

"Come inside, Tyr," Rarity's voice said. The door slid open a little further. Tyr frowned, but went inside. The lights were off.

"Rarity…? Where are you?"

Rarity came forward into the light. Tyr suppressed a gasp at her appearance. Her hair was straight instead of its usual curls, and she had no makeup on. Despite that, she still was pretty attractive, Tyr figured. But this felt… awkward to him. Rarity was bare in front of him. "Tyr," She said softly. "I need your help with something."

Her voice was low, and carried none of the proper sound to it. "Um… well, whatever it is, I'll do my best to help."

A small smile crept onto Rarity's face. "I figured you'd say that. You're always so helpful, Tyr."

A frown crossed Tyr's face. Where was the usual 'darling' Rarity loved to say so much? "So… what exactly do you need me for?"

"I want you… to sleep with me."

Tyr felt his stomach lurch. "You… you what?"

Rarity came closer to him. "I want you, Tyr, to have sex with me."

"What? Why?"

"I need to know if… if I feel anything."

"Feel anything? Rarity this is ridiculous!" Tyr pushed her out to arm's length. "You know I have Luna, right? That this would be cheating? How the hell would I explain this to her?"

"I… Tyr, please…"

"What's wrong with you, Rarity?" Tyr frowned. "You've been locked up in here for almost three days!"

"I can't work." Rarity's voice was soft. "I haven't had a single creative idea."

"You… what?"

Tears started to fall from Rarity's eyes. "Ever since the banquet, I haven't made a single new dress. I had so many ideas before, but now they're all gone. Ever since…"

"Ever since Pinkie said she didn't want to be your friend anymore…" Tyr was connecting the dots, slowly but surely.

Rarity stiffened up. "There was a saying I heard once. That you don't know what you have until it's gone. I didn't realize how true that was…"

"Rarity…"

"I ruined a friendship I didn't know was so… necessary to me. Without Pinkie, I find myself… lost."

The last piece clicked in Tyr's mind. "You… Rarity, you're in love with Pinkie. That's why you…"

Rarity pulled away from him. "But the scandal!" She cried. "I can see the headlines now, 'Local Seamstress falls in love with female baker'. I would be the talk of everywhere!"

"But… if you had Pinkie back, wouldn't you be happy?"

"Of course I…!" Rarity trailed off, realizing what she was saying. "I… I need Pinkie Pie to be happy?"

"Seems like you need her to function…" Tyr muttered, glancing around.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Rarity asked. "Last I checked, Pinkie wasn't talking to me. So how am I supposed to explain all this to her?"

"We just go see her." Tyr glanced at his cell phone. "…and lucky us, Sherry just texted me that Pinkie is at the bakery."

"She is?"

"So. Come on."

"But my hair… my tail..!" Rarity panicked. "I haven't put on any make up either…"

"Do you want Pinkie to see you for who you really are, or do you want to put on another mask?"

Rarity blinked, Tyr's words had hit her. "You… may have a point there, darling."

"So! Put on some clothes and let's go."

-x-

"You really are good at making pastries, Sherry," Mrs. Cake said, watching the tray of cinnamon rolls Sherry had made selling out.

"Maybe we should get you in here helping Pinkie Pie!" Mr. Cake said with a chuckle. "Your pastries and her cakes would go well together."

Sherry smiled, but it was a bit forced. As much as she loved working at the cake shop, with the way Pinkie was today… The usual pink ball of joy was more reserved and quiet today, although it didn't seem to curb her baking ability. Not to mention her hair… she unconsciously stroked her own hair. Never thought about how she would look with hair that straight… Maybe she would talk to Tyr about it.

"Oh, hello Tyr," Mrs. Cake said as the front door opened. "…Rarity? Is that you?"

"Hello, Mrs. Cake," Rarity said quietly. She seemed a bit nervous, clad in only a pair of whitewash jeans, a blouse, and a jacket. It had none of the elegant flair she normally had. Not to mention she had no makeup, her hair was straight… Sherry was seriously considering the straight hair look now. "Is… Is Pinkie Pie here?"

"She's…" Mr. Cake started to say, but Pinkie pushed past him to face Rarity.

"Why are you here?" She asked harshly. Rarity flinched.

"I… I um…" She stammered, words failing her. She hung her head.

"…Then if you have nothing to say, please leave."

"I do! I do have something I want to say." Rarity said quickly. "Pinkie… I… I can't do this."

"Can't do what, exactly?"

"I can't not be your friend, darling," Rarity said. She pulled her coat tight around her. "I haven't done any work at all these past two days. All my thoughts are of… you."

"You've been… thinking about me?" Pinkie looked surprised. "Why?"

"Because I need you, Pinkie. Knowing that you don't want to see me, don't want to speak to me… I can't deal with that."

A bit of puff returned to Pinkie's hair. "You… you actually want me around?"

"Pinkie… you are probably the most creative person I know, barring myself. You are like the sun in the middle of summer, bright and always shining. Before I even realized it I… I was…"

"…What?"

Rarity glanced over at Tyr. He nodded. She let out a deep sigh. "Despite all my rationalizations, my attempts to change my mind or figure otherwise… I love you, Pinkie Pie. You are the spark that lets my creative juices flow. Without you I'm in the dark."

"You… you really need me?" Pinkie blinked. "You're… you're not just saying that, are you?"

"Pinkie. I walked here without makeup, without doing anything to my hair or tail, and I'm on the verge of crying in front of all these people here." She sniffed. "If you make me tell you I need you again, I really will cry."

Pinkie stared at her for a long moment. "Then say it again."

Rarity really did start to cry. "I really, really need you, Pinkie. Please…"

Pinkie's hair suddenly exploded, returning to its puffy style and scattering confetti everywhere. With a huge grin, she wrapped her arms around Rarity and pulled her into an embrace. "You don't have to hide who you are, silly. I'll always love you no matter what."

"Then… If you love me back…?"

"I wanted you to cry on my shoulder," Pinkie said, holding her tightly. She pulled her out to arm's length. "And… this."

She pressed her lips to Rarity's. The fashionista resisted only a moment before leaning into the gesture, wrapping her arms around Pinkie's neck. They kept kissing until Mr. Cake cleared his throat loudly. "Um… girls? We still have customers, y'know."

"Oops," Pinkie said, breaking away from Rarity and sticking out her tongue. "Sorry!"

"Go back to work, dear," Rarity said with a soft smile. "I think I'll have a couple of those cinnamon buns while I wait for you."

"Oh no, I gotta make more!" Sherry said, running into the kitchen.

"I'll help!" Pinkie bounced into the kitchen after her.

Rarity let out a contented sigh as she sat down at a nearby table. She motioned for Tyr to join her. "Tyr, I have you to thank for my clarity of mind I now have."

Tyr shook his head. "I just brought you here. I didn't do anything too special."

"You have given me a bit of happiness I would have missed otherwise. For that, I must thank you." Rarity reached out and rested her hand on top of his. "Thank you."

"It's no big deal, seriously."

"If you say so…"

"You are too honest, darling."

The two of them sat for a bit, making small talk. Rarity was almost like a different person now, and had a gentle smile that didn't go away. She spent most of her time watching Pinkie work. To her credit, the pink party girl was keeping herself from running over to her new girlfriend. But she had a smile that went from ear to ear the rest of the work day. Tyr watched as Pinkie and Sherry worked back to back, just two pink blurs working wildly in the kitchen.

When the shift finally ended, Pinkie and Sherry came over to them. "You look tired," Tyr said, looking over his adoptive daughter. Her response was to sit roughly in his lap and lay back against his chest. He smiled and gently stroked her hair.

"She worked super-duper hard!" Pinkie said, sitting beside Rarity. "I did too!"

"I saw, dear," Rarity said, kissing Pinkie's cheek.

"Well, I should get my little one here home," Tyr said, seeing that Sherry was starting to fall asleep in his lap. "Luna's probably waiting on me too."

"Oh, dear! You shouldn't keep her waiting!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "She might get super grumpy if you're late!"

Tyr stood, lifting Sherry onto his back. "You guys are okay, right?"

"Of course, darling."

"Yeah!"

"Alright then. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Tyr headed for the door when suddenly Rarity stopped him.

"Darling, wait. I know you said it was not a big deal but…" She came over to him and took hold of one of his hands. He felt something pressed into it. "Please. Just keep it for me."

Tyr sighed. "If you insist. I'll see you guys."

It was quiet on the way home. Sherry was sleeping peacefully on his back, her soft breath tickling his ear. "I don't wanna eat any more muffins…" She mumbled softly. Tyr couldn't help but chuckle. As he got closer to the house, he saw the unmistakable figure of Celestia leaving his house. She noticed him right before she got into her car, which was being driven by a well-built Equestrian male in a black suit. She gave him a small smile, got into her car, and drove off. Tyr was thoroughly confused but went inside. He found Luna seated at the dinner table, finishing off a cup of tea. She looked up as he came in.

"Oh, Tyr. Welcome home."

"Hey Luna. What was Celestia doing here?"

"She wanted to ask a few question about… our relationship." She blushed.

"…I see. Let me put Sherry in bed."

Luna smiled. "Of course."

Tyr quickly put his daughter in bed, sure to tuck her in before he went back downstairs to rejoin his girlfriend. "So what did Celestia say?"

"She said…" Luna bit her bottom lip. "She was wondering if she should be expecting a niece or nephew anytime soon."

Tyr processed that for a moment. Then his eyes went wide. "Oh… shoot. We haven't…"

"Used protection," She finished. A blush crept into her cheeks. "We were caught in the moment…"

"Yeah, true. So I guess I have to go to the convenience store…"

"I will go with you."

"What? Why?"

"I am curious."

"…You get curious about the weirdest things…"

"I want to know as much as I can… What is that in your hand?"

Tyr glanced down. In his hand was a necklace, a silver one with a diamond shaped emblem attached to it. "Rarity gave me this. As… thanks."

"Thanks?"

"I'll tell you later. We should get to the store before it closes."

"Mm."

They bundled up and went out to the convenience store. As they entered it, the clerk from oh so long ago looked up from his comic book. He glanced at Luna, a small smile crossing his face, and then seeing Tyr. His face fell. "Welcome," He said half-heartedly.

Tyr grunted a reply before moving down one aisle. Luna followed him. It wasn't long before they came across what they were looking for. "There are so many types," Luna murmured.

Tyr didn't say anything. Buying condoms with his girlfriend was last on his list for the day. He picked out a random brand that seems alright and led Luna to the counter. He put the box on the counter and fixed the clerk with a stare. The man looked from Tyr to the box, then back up to Tyr and then over to Luna. "Lucky," He muttered, running the box under the scanner.

Tyr ignored him, paid, and led Luna out, making sure to put her in front of him. "Are you in a hurry?" She asked, looking back at him.

"Not particularly," Tyr muttered. "It's just not very comfortable buying these."

"I see."

They got home quickly. As Tyr locked up, Luna was examining the box of condoms. "Eager to use them?"

Luna blushed. "I suppose… Are these supposed to go on your…"

"Yes."

"Oh! …Oh my." Her blush grew deeper. "Um… you might be tired after today. What about tomorrow?"

Tyr sighed, a little disappointed at Luna's sudden apprehension. He was tired, however, "Fine then. I'll see you in bed?"

"Yes, of course."

A dream wasn't too unusual for Tyr. He had a decently vivid imagination, so having dreams was a welcome part of his sleep time. But this was something he had never seen before. He stood atop a tall, regal tower facing its twin above a sprawling castle and city below. The sun was beginning to lower, giving way to the night. A golden glow burst from the far tower, and the sun began to set. Almost simultaneously, Tyr felt a power behind him cause his skin to prickle. He turned to see, and felt his jaw threaten to drop at the sight. A regal looking pony of midnight blue stood on the tower, long blue and black mane and tail that resembled the night sky trailing in the light breeze. A unicorn horn sat atop their head, and they had a pair of wings outstretched as a midnight blue glow enveloped their horn. As Tyr watched, the moon began to rise. After a long minute, the glow receded and the moon was bright in the sky. As Tyr looked over the pony, he noticed the moon shaped mark on their flank. That's when it hit him.

"Luna?"

The Pony looked over at the sound of her name. Her eyes widened as they fell upon him. "Tyr? …What are you doing here?"

It was then Tyr was convinced this was the strangest dream he had ever had.

* * *

 **As the chapters were a bit shorter this time around, I double posted. Also, because of how quickly i go through these sections, I believe I will continue to double post. I'm getting much closer to the 'meat' of my story (not saying these parts are irrelevant, heavens no) so expect chapter length to start going back up around Chapter 9 or so. As always, rate/review/follow as is thine preference, and a BIG shoutout to my co-writer/proofreader/first fangirl/girlfriend. It's great when you've got people to push you to do what you love. :D  
**


	9. Chapter 8: Rainclouds Kicked Away

Chapter 8: Rainclouds Kicked Away

Tyr felt his eyes open slowly. As usual, Luna was curled up beside him. But Tyr immediately noticed something was different. "Luna. Luna, wake up."

"Mm." Luna's eyes slowly fluttered open. "…Morning, Tyr."

"Morning to you to, Princess. I… Well then."

"Hm? What is the matter?"

"Your hair…"

Luna sat up and glanced over at the wall mirror. Her hair now had the appearance of the midnight sky, little white stars dotting its translucent appearance. "My hair! And my tail…!"

"I like it," Tyr said with a smile. "It's got a magical feel to it."

She smiled softly. "So, shall we get up?"

"Yeah."

There were up and dressed before too long. As Tyr headed downstairs, he spotted Sherry already up. She was looking at a box. "Oh, Hey Sherry. What's up?" He spoke as he got a cup of coffee.

"I saw this on the countertop when I came down," Sherry mumbled, biting into an apple. "What exactly is a condom?"

Tyr choked a bit as he realized just what it was that Sherry was looking at. "Uh…"

Sherry looked over at him. "…This is an adult thing, isn't it?"

"…Yeah."

"Then I don't want to know." She tossed the box to him. He slipped it under the counter in the cabinet. "I'm off to school."

"Early today?"

"I'm meeting Bloom and the others." She jogged over to the door. "See ya! Don't use too many of those condoms!"

"Sherry!" Tyr snapped, but the girl was gone. "…That girl sometimes…"

"What's going on?" Luna came downstairs.

"We left the condoms on the countertop," Tyr said, resting his head in his hand.

"…She saw them?"

"And apparently she knows what they're for. How, I don't know."

"Oh dear…"

Tyr sighed. "I guess this is what parents feel when they don't want their kids to grow up too quickly."

Luna smiled. "You are a good father, love."

"Thanks Luna. Now, let me make us some breakfast. We've got to go talk to AJ today."

"You haven't heard from Fluttershy, have you?"

"No, but—" Tyr was cut off by his phone ringing. It was Fluttershy. He picked up quickly. "Hello, Fluttershy?"

"Tyr! You n-need to come quick!" Fluttershy's panicked voice cried.

"What? What's going on?"

"Dash is awake!"

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Applejack is here!"

-x-

Tyr and Luna came running down the hallway of the hospital. Fluttershy was outside of the hospital room, looking scared. "Fluttershy, what's going on?"

"AJ came in and told me to wait outside…"

"Is she still in there?" Luna asked.

"Yes, but…" She trailed off as the door opened. AJ walked out, and seemed surprised to see them all.

"What are y'all doing out here?" She asked.

"We were hoping you weren't coming here to finish the job," Luna said flatly. The reply seemed to sting, as AJ flinched.

"I… I could never kill someone, especially not a friend," AJ said quietly. "I was in there to ask Dash a question."

"A question?" Tyr frowned, not following.

"It's of a… private nature," AJ said, glancing at Fluttershy. "…I'll see y'all around."

With that, she left. "I kinda wanted to speak to Dash myself," Tyr said after a moment.. "Luna, stay out here with Fluttershy."

Luna frowned, but nodded. Tyr entered the room. Dash was sitting up in bed, angrily tugging at her bandages. She paused for a moment when he came in. "Oh, yo Tyr. What's up?"

"Nice to see you're better."

"Well, not everyone can say they've survive AJ when she's angry," Dash laughed, but winced. "Ow."

"Still hurts?"

"Would have hurt worse if you, Luna and Flutters hadn't shown up." She smiled sadly.

"What is it?"

"For a moment there, I felt like AJ was actually going to kill me." She shook her head. "Well, I'd have deserved it."

"What?"

"I hurt Shy. Probably more than anyone ever has… or if AJ has the last word, will." Dash sighed. "I loved her once."

"What happened?"

Dash laid back down, wincing ever so slightly. "…It's not that important. Besides, why do you care, anyway?"

"Because I'm your friend." Tyr smiled. "I'm a repairman. I tend to have to listen to my clients."

"…Fine then." Dash looked up at the ceiling. "I realized Shy was… too slow for me."

"Too slow?"

"You know how she is. Always caring, always kind… I mean, she's not the Element of Kindness for nothing." Dash gave a small chuckle. "But… I like speed. I like excitement. Everything I like to do, Shy is afraid of it. Humph, not that I can blame her."

"So you guys weren't a good match?"

"It was better in Equestria, where I could fly. My wings… were everything. But I found that there was a lot of cool stuff to do as a human, and Shy… wouldn't ever go with me. Never tried."

Tyr frowned. "I get the feeling you tried to push her too hard."

"…Yeah. She got mad. Said I never wanted to just… curl up on the couch and watch a movie or something. As if I could do something that boring!"

Tyr felt a small bit of anger rise in him, but he kept it down. "So you just lost your attraction to Fluttershy?"

"Attraction? I still think Shy is the hottest alive, save me."

"None taken," Tyr mumbled under his breath.

"Huh?'

"Nothing. Go on."

"But I just don't feel the same way like when I thought the world was ending or something. Sort of thing kinda makes you emotional." She scratched at her head.

Tyr realized why AJ had hit Dash. The girl just did not get emotions the way others did. She didn't see anything wrong with what she had done. AJ would have seen that sort of thing as lying to Fluttershy. "So you and Fluttershy…"

"We're done. If she wants to go chasing after AJ, it's her deal."

"…Wait one second. Run that by me again?"

Dash frowned. "Shy likes AJ. Not that it'll go anywhere, as AJ can't even understand being attracted to the same sex. She came in here demanding to know how I decided I liked mares… well, girls."

"That's what she wanted to ask?"

"Yeah. She seemed pretty adamant that it was weird and unusual. Didn't surprise me; AJ was always a stickler for rules and lame stuff like that. Poor Shy though."

"Yeah… poor Shy. Well, you get better, Rainbow."

"See ya!"

Luna and Fluttershy were waiting outside. "Is she okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"She's… fine, I guess." Tyr frowned. "If you call emotionally illiterate okay…"

Fluttershy sighed. "That is normal for Dash. I guess since we grew up together and I looked up to her… When she confessed I was really happy."

"But it didn't last?" Luna asked.

"…It was a bad match, I realize now." She smiled. "I couldn't keep up with her, and she doesn't like to wait."

"So you'd rather have someone down to earth? Someone who might be too honest for their own good?"

"Yes…" Fluttershy blinked and looked at Tyr. "What…?"

"Luna, are we still going to go talk to AJ?"

Luna nodded. "Lead the way."

"Hey wait!" Dash's voice called out. "Tyr! Come here for a bit."

Tyr reentered the room. "What is it?"

Dash was quiet for a moment. "You're planning on helping Shy out, right?"

"…How'd you guess?"

"You like to help out, don't you?" She sighed. "It's… weird, letting someone else help Shy. Normally that's my job."

"You are kinda out of commission."

"Yeah, I know. Here." She reached out and stuck something in his hand. It was a small pin, shaped like a cloud with a rainbow colored lightning bolt coming out of it. "I got the thing cause it looked like my Cutie Mark… but take it. As a thanks for doing my job for me. Think of it like I'm deputizing you."

"I'll hold onto it," Tyr said, smiling. "You… really do care about Fluttershy, don't you?"

"I know it seems like I'm an uncaring… you know, but I really do want Shy to be happy. And that isn't if she's dating me."

Tyr was feeling his impression of Dash change a bit. "I see. Alright then Dash. Get some rest, okay?"

"Ugh, that is the _last_ thing I want to be doing…"

-x-

"So we are heading over to Sweet Apple Acres now?" Luna asked as Tyr pulled up to a stoplight. He had forgotten to reattach the sidecar, so Luna was riding behind him. It was a bit more enjoyable than when he was riding with Rarity.

"Yeah," He replied. "AJ was asking Dash about her feelings."

"You don't think…?"

"I doubt it. AJ is probably just being a big sister."

The farm pulled into view pretty quickly. AJ's brother, Big Mac, was out in front, lifting some large boxes onto the back of a truck. He spotted them as they drove up. "Howdy y'all," He said. "What brings you out here?"

"Hello, Big McIntosh," Luna said, climbing down off the bike. "We were looking for Applejack. Is she around?"

"Eeyup. Out in the orchard."

"Thanks," Tyr said. "We'll go see her."

Big Mac nodded and went back to lifting. Tyr and Luna went out into the apple orchard, and it wasn't too hard to spot AJ. She was directing a group of workers in carrying some barrels of apples to a waiting truck. She noticed them as they approached. "I wasn't expecting y'all to come by."

"Well, it was on the to-do list," Tyr admitted. "You and Dash are alright?"

"I'm still mad at her, but it's just the way she is." AJ sighed. "She's so loyal she'd rather break Shy's heart instead of keeping her in an unhappy relationship. A bad way of thinking, but it's not entirely bad."

"I suppose that is fair," Luna said.

"So all I can do now is work, and help Shy out if she needs me." AJ shrugged.

"So Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy being in a same-sex relationship does not bother you?"

Luna had spoken the question AJ was trying to avoid. The farm girl glanced behind her to make sure the other workers were out of earshot. "…I'd be lying if I said it didn't."

"So…"

"I can't hate my friends for their… preferences," AJ said quietly. "It's just… I can't… It's just strange."

"So it just seems odd to you?"

"I mean, we were raised that we had to marry a colt…man." AJ sighed. "It was just rare for a couple of girls to be together."

Tyr felt a bit of irony at AJ's use of 'rare'. "So you think it's wrong?"

"Not… entirely. I mean… I can't see myself in a relationship like that."

Poor Shy indeed, Tyr thought. "So you wouldn't do it, but you would be fine if your friends were… that way?"

"…What are you getting at, Tyr?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Just curious. One last thing. You should go talk to Twilight."

"I… I know." AJ sighed and turned away. "I'll get around to it. I got work to do."

She walked away. "I don't think that went so well," Luna murmured.

"Well, we can't fix everything," Tyr admitted. "Let's just head home for now."

"Alright."

-x-

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Luna snapped.

"What? It was funny." Tyr had just finished recovering from a long laugh.

"So you're enjoying treating your girlfriend like this? I do not even know how to play this game!"

"It's just Soul Calibur. It's not that hard."

"But this is the first fighting game I have ever played!" She complained. "And you are not taking it easy on me!"

"You said not to hold back…"

"But you are being absolutely ruthless!"

Tyr grinned. "I am your demon, after all."

Luna blinked, and then a smile crossed her face. "…You evil man. Kiss me."

Tyr did so, sliding his fingers through her hair to cup the back of her head. As he began to press the issue, the doorbell rang. "Shoot."

Luna smiled softly. "Go answer it. I am not going anywhere, my love."

"Well, that is true." Tyr got up and headed downstairs. The doorbell rang again. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

He opened the door to find Pinkie standing there. No bouncing, no excitement, just standing there. "Hey Tyr," She said with a gentle smile.

"Pinkie? What's up?"

"I heard that Rarity gave you a necklace…?"

"Huh? Oh right, she did." Tyr pulled it out of his pocket.

Pinkie smiled. "Silly, necklaces are for _wearing_."

"Well…"

"Here!" She reached out and fiddled with it for a minute. When he handed it back, a red balloon charm was hooked onto it. "Now it's a gift from both of us! Make sure to wear it, okay?"

Tyr couldn't help but smile. "Alright Pinkie. I'll wear it as often as I can."

"Great!" She grinned. "See ya!"

She bounced off. Tyr chuckled and hooked the charm-necklace around his neck, the diamond and balloon charms clinking together. He closed the door and went back upstairs. Luna was reading the move list. "Who was at the door?" She asked.

"It was Pinkie. She wanted to give me this." He indicated the necklace and its new charm.

"I see… Perhaps I should try to find a moon shaped one?" She thought to herself.

"Nah, don't bother." He pulled her to his side. "Having you here is good enough for me."

"If you say so."

Tyr smiled and kissed her again, fully attempting to pick up where he left off. However, at that very same moment, he heard the front door open. "Dad, Luna, I'm home!"

As Tyr groaned, Luna laughed quietly. "We'll have privacy later."

"I suppose you're right." Tyr sighed. Sherry came up then.

"Oh, you guys are in here. Ooh, are you teaching Luna how to play a fighting game?"

"More like just mercilessly beating me," Luna said.

"Dad…"

"She said not to hold back!"

"You know what? Let me play. At least then someone can actually have a chance against you."

"You'll regret this, young lady."

"Make me!"

As the next match started up, Luna rested herself in Tyr's lap. "This is… pleasant," she murmured.

"Hm?" Tyr glanced down at her.

"This… closeness. I enjoy being around you and Sherry, Tyr."

"We like having you!" Sherry said, laying back against Tyr's other side. "Dad's been way more happy since you started coming around so much."

"Well, Sherry… how would you feel about me moving in with you and your Dad?" Luna asked.

"You actually want to?" Sherry looked surprised. "That would be amazing! I know Dad would love it. I mean… I would too."

Luna smiled. "I'd love to live here. We are almost like a little family, the three of us."

"A family I'm happy to be part of," Tyr said quietly, nuzzling Luna.


	10. Chapter 9: Wings of an Angel

Chapter 9: Wings of an Angel

"I can't believe this sort of thing is still happening," Luna murmured from her spot on the couch. She was watching the news report, where a newscaster was describing an attack on an Equestrian neighborhood. "I thought my sister's work was getting somewhere…"

"You and Celestia are doing what you can," Tyr said. "Wish I was more help than just hired muscle…"

"Well, you are quite muscular," Luna murmured.

"Jeez Luna!" Sherry said, making a face.

"Oh, sorry dear."

Tyr smiled. The atmosphere in his home had changed a lot since Luna had moved in. Despite setting up a private room for her, Luna spent the majority of her time and slept in Tyr's room. It was almost like they were newlyweds. On top of that, Sherry was out for Christmas break. So he had both of his girls around almost all the time. "So where was it?" He asked.

"It was further out west. Although they say small things are happening all over…"

"Hopefully nothing like this happens here," Sherry said.

"If it does, do I have permission to let my demon loose?"

"Anyone threatening this town will have made the biggest mistake of their lives," Tyr said.

"I don't doubt that." Luna smiled.

Tyr's phone rang suddenly. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Eep!" The voice on the other end said. "O-oh, I'm sorry."

"…Fluttershy? What's up?" Tyr hadn't seen much of Fluttershy since the incident between Dash and AJ. After Dash was released, much had gone back to normal. AJ and Twilight were still not on speaking terms, however. Meanwhile, Pinkie was splitting her time between the cake shop and Rarity's Boutique.

"Um… one of the blood work machines is acting up… Marilyn said I should call you since I have your number…"

"I see. I'll head over right now."

"It's no rush…"

"See ya soon, Fluttershy."

"Bye." She hung up.

"That was Fluttershy?" Sherry asked. "What did she want?"

"Some help at the vet. A machine they need fixed." Tyr went and retrieved his tools.

"Well, we'll hang out while you're gone," Sherry said.

"Be safe on the way there," Luna said. "The weather forecast said a large storm was on the way, and that we'll be feeling the edges of it soon.

"That's normal in this area," Tyr said. "We get a lot of blizzards and the like during the winter."

"I see."

"Of course, I'll be sure to be inside if anything does happen." Tyr said. He went out, got on his bike, and drove off. It was lightly snowing, layering the ground with a soft white blanket. Winter was one of his favorite seasons, if only for the fact he loved drinking hot chocolate. The cold didn't bother him much either. As usual, he made it to the vet's in a decent amount of time. He entered and saw Marilyn, the town vet, at the front desk.

"Hello Tyr." She smiled. The tall blonde was pretty, and Tyr used to have a crush on her.

"How are you, Marilyn?"

"I'm doing quite alright. My life has been so much easier since Fluttershy started to work with me."

"Where is she, anyway?"

"In the back with the animals. One of the dogs was throwing a fit so she's calming them down."

"I see. So where's this machine you need looked at?"

Marilyn motioned for him to follow her. He came around the counter and followed Marilyn into a large side room that they used for examining animals. "The blood tester is on the fritz, and I don't know why…"

Tyr quickly pulled the side of the machine off, making sure to set it aside within reach. "The internal motor for this thing is out of place somehow… Did you bump into it roughly or something?"

"One of the bigger dogs hit it when we were trying to calm him down," Fluttershy's voice said softly. "Would that have done it?"

"Yeah, it would have. Hey Fluttershy." Tyr smiled as the shy girl came into the room. She was cradling a little puppy in her arms, stroking it's fur gently.

"He was just scared, that's all…"

"I can fix this, but it's going to take me a while."

"How long?" Marilyn asked.

"Depending on what's messed up in here. May need to order some parts too."

"Well, I've actually got to go. I've got to go get my son from daycare."

"I can handle locking up," Fluttershy offered helpfully.

"Oh would you? That would be a real big help." Marilyn smiled. "You're like an angel, Fluttershy."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far…"

"I'll hang around to make sure she gets home safe," Tyr said.

Marilyn smiled mischievously. "Trying to get some alone time with the hidden beauty?"

Fluttershy blushed while Tyr simply sighed. "No, Marilyn. I already have a girlfriend."

"Oh really? Oh well." She shrugged. "Well, I'll be going. See you!"

They both waved bye as she left the building. Tyr went back to work while Fluttershy quietly attended to the other animals. It was quiet without Marilyn there, Tyr noticed. Fair enough, since Fluttershy wasn't the type to start conversation. It was a comfortable silence, however, and Tyr found himself being distracted by the quiet girl. She was grooming a large dog, murmuring softly as she did so. It sounded like she was singing, almost. Suddenly, a loud sound smacked up against the windows. The sound sent Fluttershy running for safety. "W-what was that!?" She squeaked.

Tyr set down what he was working with and glanced at the window. "Seems the storm is kicking up out there…" The window was frosting over, and Tyr could feel the cold emanating from it. "Is there heat for the animals?"

"There's a separate heating system for where we keep the animals," Fluttershy replied. "So that we don't have to take them anywhere when it gets cold…" She trailed off as a knock sounded from the front door.

"Who on earth would be out in this kind of weather?" Tyr muttered. "They'd have to be crazy or just plain old stubborn."

"N-Nice ta see you t-too," Applejack stammered as Tyr opened the door. "C-can I come in?"

"Of course!" Tyr let AJ into the building, closing the door securely behind her. "Jeez, AJ, what are you doing here?"

AJ opened her coat to reveal a shivering brown dog. "Winona!" Fluttershy exclaimed, coming over and taking the cold dog. "Whatever happened?"

"She twisted her l-leg in the snow," AJ said. "I c-came running here as fast as I c-could."

"Tyr, could you go into the office?" Fluttershy said, getting a blanket to wrap Winona. "There is a pot of hot cocoa on the small stove that Marilyn made earlier."

"I'll get us all a cup." Tyr went into the small kitchen-like office, finding the pot warm on the stove. He made three cups and took them back into the other room. He passed one to AJ.

"Thank ya kindly," AJ said, sipping at the hot drink. Tyr set one down for Fluttershy before sipping at his own. The warm feeling of the drink slowly flowing through his body was welcome.

Fluttershy quickly splinted and wrapped Winona's leg, comforting the pained dog with a soft voice all the while. After she was finished, the brown dog gave her a loving lick on the cheek. "Oh, you're very welcome, Winona."

"You're always helping out with the animals, Shy," AJ, drinking more of her cocoa.

"It's my destiny," Fluttershy said softly. She left Winona and retrieved another blanket. This one she draped over AJ's shoulders. "Here. This should warm you up."

"And now she's looking after me," AJ chuckled.

"It's the least I could do after you've helped me out so much."

Tyr went back to his work in the side room. He heard Fluttershy and AJ talking quietly for a while, and then there was quiet. He put the machine back together. "I don't have the parts to fix this on hand. I'll have to go by the hardware store…" He looked up to find Fluttershy standing nearby. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you," She murmured. "AJ is with Winona, and she won't hear us."

"…So what's up?"

Fluttershy sat in a chair across from him. "I… You know about my attraction to Applejack, don't you?"

Tyr grunted. "Dash told me."

"I… figured as much. You don't seem surprised or… upset."

"Expecting me to be disgusted or something?" Tyr smiled softly. "I tore apart a very important relationship to me because of hasty reactions. It is still in the process of mending. I'm not making that mistake again."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Tyr… what happened?"

Tyr glanced at her. The pink hair that normally obscured Fluttershy's face had fallen away, and both of her bright blue eyes were looking at him with concern. She was the kindest person Tyr knew, and if anyone would listen… "I have three sisters," Tyr began.

-x-

"Sherry," Luna called softly. The bubblegum haired girl popped up from her place on the couch.

"Yes, Luna?"

"Do you… Do you think Tyr has secrets?"

"Secrets?" Sherry frowned. "I… think so. You mean like his parents being gone?"

Luna nodded. "It just feels like… after the issue with Pinkie and Rarity, he has been… thoughtful."

"Maybe he's worried about the stuff on the news."

"Perhaps. He did promise to protect me…"

"Luna." Sherry's voice was serious. "If my dad has any secrets, it's not because he doesn't trust us, he may not be ready. I know you haven't told him about Nightmare Moon, and I haven't told him… about _my_ parents."

Luna looked at her sharply. "Your parents? I was aware they were no longer with us, but…"

"I… knew a lot of people who didn't survive the Merge," Sherry said with a shaky voice. Luna left the kitchen to sit beside her. "My… family was part of that number."

"Your… family?" Luna blinked. "You were not an only child?"

Sherry shook her head sadly. "I had a little brother. His name was Pepper Spice. We were… playing in the living room when the Merge happened. My parents were in the kitchen and… and…" she started to cry.

Luna felt her stomach tighten. She and Tia had heard the stories. Of ponies being ripped apart or parts of them simply ceasing to exist as the two worlds came together. Most survivors were simply lucky, and ended up in this new world alone. Those who were not were left to bury the dead. And Sherry… She put a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder. "It's alright Sherry, you don't have to relive this…"

"I have to. If I want to tell Tyr, I have to…" She rubbed at her eyes. "I watched my parents die. My little brother… there was only half of him to bury."

"Oh no…"

Sherry buried her face in her hands. A soft warmness rested over her back. "I…I have kept it to myself for so long. Thank you for listening."

"Just tell Tyr when he comes home."

"I will." Sherry raised her head. Her smile switched to one of shock almost instantly.

-x-

"My wings!" Fluttershy exclaimed. Tyr had felt the unknown appendage rest on his back and had been suitably surprised at its discovery. Fluttershy was busy flapping the golden wings in an effort to make sure they were real.

"What's all the commotion—what in tarnation!?" AJ walked in and blinked in shock. "Shy, you got your wings back!"

"I don't know what happened!" Fluttershy reached out to touch her wings. She folded them back, and they almost vanished against her back. "I was talking to Tyr, since he was… worried about something, and when I tried to comfort him, I was resting my wing on him."

"She was only showing me a bit of kindness…" Tyr said, but trailed off. Kindness? Dash had said Fluttershy was the Element of Kindness… Could that have possibly had anything to do with it?

AJ glanced at the window. The storm was beginning to wane. "We should probably run on outta here," She said.

"Yeah, I gotta buy parts for this thing," Tyr grumbled, sliding the machine's panel back on. "Do you need this thing?"

"I think Marilyn needed it, but I think she can wait…"

"With a storm on the horizon, I doubt she'd mind," AJ joked.

"Do you need me to take you home?" Tyr asked Fluttershy. For the first time since he met her, he saw her smile widely.

"No… I think I'll fly home." She said proudly.

-x-

"And now my girlfriend has wings," Tyr murmured in slight surprise, seeing Luna hovering over the couch.

"Tyr!" Luna dropped down to the ground. "I was talking to Sherry and—"

"Luna," Sherry said quietly, "Can I borrow my dad for a bit?"

Luna paused, then smiled softly. "Go ahead dear. I can wait."

"Dad? I have a lot I need to tell you…"

Luna left the room as Sherry and Tyr sat on the couch. She examined her wings. They were a deep blue color, just like they had been in Equestria. To her surprise, they seemed to shrink in size as they folded down against her back. How useful, she mused. A soft sound caught her attention. Sherry's cell phone was vibrating. As much as she didn't want to interrupt Tyr and his daughter, she didn't have much of a choice. She picked it up and went over to them. "Sherry… your phone."

Sherry rubbed at her eyes. "H-huh?" she took it, glancing at the screen. "That's Bloom's number…"

"Go on and answer it," Tyr said.

Sherry pressed a button and held the phone up to her ear. "Bloom? What's… Applejack?"

"Applejack?" Tyr muttered, confused.

Sherry listened for a bit, then held the phone out to Tyr. "She wants to speak to you," She said, a confused look on her face.

Tyr took the phone. "I'm here AJ, what's up?"

"Do you know where Shy is?" AJ asked immediately.

"Huh…? Didn't she say she was going to fly home?"

"Yeah, she did, but I remembered something. Shy was never a really strong flier. I done called her apartment twice now, with no answer."

AJ was probably assuming the worst, Tyr realized. "I'll go out and look for her. Let the others know she's missing."

Tyr tossed the phone to Sherry and ran to get his coat. Luna followed him. "Whatever is the matter?" She asked.

"Fluttershy didn't make it home," Tyr said shortly. "I'm going out to find her."

"The storm is picking back up!" Luna said. "I'm not letting you go out there alone."

Tyr nodded. "Then we'll work together. How are your wings?"

Luna spread them in a flourish. "Strong. I will be fine, even in this weather."

"I don't care what you think," Tyr snapped, tossing her coat to her. "You head back here immediately if you so much as think you might be overdoing it."

The strength behind Tyr's words left Luna unable to do anything but nod. Tyr was planning to keep her safe no matter what, she remembered. "Will you be okay?" Sherry was asking her father.

"I'll be fine," Tyr assured her. "I'm used to this kind of weather."

"If you say so…"

"Let's go," Tyr said to Luna. She nodded as she finished zipping up her jacket. Her wings burst through it, leaving a pair of holes in the back. "…Oh dear."

"Not much you can do about it," Tyr said with a slight chuckle. "Come on."

They went outside. The snow was starting to rise, and Luna took to the air immediately. There was nothing but white as far as the eye could see. Even as they searched frantically, Luna was slowly losing hope. "How are we supposed to find her in this…?"

"Just look for pink," Tyr said, shielding his eyes from the falling snow. "And pray she's okay."

-x-

"Fluttershy is missing?" Twilight repeated, looking at the freezing farm girl in front of her. Applejack had burst in a minute ago, out of breath and shivering. "How?"

"She got her wings back, and wanted to fly home," AJ explained quickly, rubbing her arms. I completely forgot the girl can't fly real well…"

"She got her wings…? How?"

"I don't rightly know. But Shy is still a weak flier, and she might be lost out there in all that snow!"

"Oh no…! Have you told the others?"

"Tyr's already out there looking. I just came from Rarity's, and Pinkie was there too. Only person I haven't seen is Rainbow Dash."

"Well, we should—" Twilight's phone rang. She picked up. "Hello? Tyr?"

"What is he saying?" AJ asked, but Twilight held up a hand.

"…You found her? Oh thank goodness!" Twilight and AJ both sighed in relief.

"So she's safe," AJ murmured, nodding. Twilight hung up.

"Tyr says he's taking her to his house." Twilight grabbed her coat. "Let's head over there."

AJ nodded, and the two of them rushed over to Tyr's house. With the snow so thick, it actually slowed them a bit. Fighting their way through the snow, they made it to Tyr's home before the storm began to come down in force. Lucky for them, it was warm inside. However, it was warm in more than one way. "I was counting on you to look out for her!" Dash was yelling.

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "I didn't know she was a weak flier. How was I supposed to see this coming?"

"You're the guy here, right? You're supposed to… I dunno, walk her home or something!"

"Dash, darling, you can't expect Tyr to see the future…" Rarity said, coming over.

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "Tyr's cool and all, but he doesn't have any magic or anything!"

"But…" Dash looked around.

"Look Rainbow," Tyr said after a moment. "We all messed up. AJ was there too, and neither of us went with her."

Dash shot a glance at Applejack, who simply nodded. "I… just feel like since I wasn't there, I let her down…"

AJ came over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, sugarcube. Wasn't nothing any of us could of done."

Luna came downstairs. "Hello everyone."

Dash was next to her immediately. "Is she okay? How is she?"

Luna paused slightly. "Calm down, Rainbow Dash. She almost froze to death out there. It will take some time for her to recover."

"She'll live, won't she?"

"Her life is in no danger. It was lucky Tyr found her when he did."

"You found her?" Rarity asked, turning to Tyr.

"I saw her hair," He said, rubbing at his nose. "I dug her out of a snowbank."

"I couldn't see from high up," Luna admitted.

"Seems like Tyr is a hero again," Twilight said with a small smile.

"I'm just doing what I can," Tyr said. "Now, I don't know about you all, but I'm freezing, and I need something warm in my body."

"I'll make some hot chocolate!" Sherry said, jumping up and going into the kitchen. Everyone moved into the living room. The TV was on, and the weather seemed to be worsening.

"Well, seems getting home is going to be hard," Rarity murmured. "Good thing Sweetie is with our parents…"

"Hope the farm will be all right," AJ said.

"We'll just have a lot of snow really," Tyr said, sitting on the couch. Luna sat in his lap. Pinkie snuggled up next to Rarity.

"Y'all two are mighty close," AJ said.

"We are?" Rarity blinked. "Oh, Pinkie dear…"

"What's the matter?" Pinkie asked. "Rarity and I are a couple now!"

AJ's eyes opened. "You… you girls too?"

"It's… well, yes, darling. Pinkie is essentially my muse. Without her I can't seem to come up with any good dress designs."

"And whenever I'm with Rare-bear, I always have super-duper fun modeling her dress line! It's almost as good as having a party!" Pinkie said with a grin. Then suddenly she gasped loudly. "Ooh! I-D-E-A~!"

"Hey, that's my thing!" Rarity said with a pout.

"Sorry Rare-bear! But I had a super-duper-big-wig-totally-awesome idea!"

"Pinkie, could you please speak… I don't know, sense?" Twilight asked.

"We should have a party!" She squealed happily, bouncing up and down.

"A party?" Tyr said, surprised. "Here?"

"Yes! I mean, we're all stuck here anyway, and who knows when the snow is going to stop?"

"I suppose that is true… But does this house have enough space if they need to spend the night?" Luna asked Tyr.

He nodded. "Besides the three rooms we're already using, we have two guest rooms."

"Fluttershy is in Luna's room at the moment," Sherry said, coming back in with a tray full of cups. "And since Luna spends all her time in Dad's room…"

Luna blushed. "S-sherry!"

"You guys must be enjoying yourselves," Dash said with a weak smile.

It was obvious she was still worried about Fluttershy. "I'll go check on her," Sherry offered, running upstairs.

"So what should we do?"

Tyr thought for a moment, and then a smile crept across his face. "How about we go up to the game room?"


	11. Chapter 10: What Lies at the Core

Chapter 10: What Lies at the Core

"I can't believe Rarity likes a game like this," Tyr muttered. He and the girls were in the game room, playing Call of Duty. Rarity had quickly grasped the controls and was second on the leaderboard ahead of Luna by one kill.

"I have to confess darling, I've played before," Rarity said with a nervous laugh. "After Sweetie Bell told me about it, I absolutely had to try it. It is a great stress reliever."

"How… out of character," Luna muttered. She and Dash were tied for third, both not wanting to lose. AJ was doing alright, but Twilight was too busy studying the controls to play properly. They all hadn't paid too much thought to the storm outside slowly growing worse.

"Rare-bear, you're really good at this!" Pinkie had given up playing in order to snuggle with her girlfriend. Tyr had to admit, Pinkie was a lot more… contained with Rarity around. However, it was the last of his friends that he was concerned about. AJ was quiet the whole time, apparently focused on the game. Ever since Pinkie had revealed she and Rarity were together, the farm girl had been notably silent. No one else seemed to notice the severe lack of southern drawl except for him, though.

"Hey guys," Sherry came in, having gone to the other room to check on Fluttershy. "She's awake."

Dash dropped her controller almost instantaneously, jumping up and rushing to the other room. Momentarily caught off guard by her quick movement, the others were too stunned to move. Then they got up too and went to Luna's room. Dash was knelt beside the bed, arms thrown around Fluttershy's neck. "Oh, thank Celestia you're okay!"

Fluttershy smiled gently. "It's good to see you, Dash." She looked up, seeing all her friends. "But… where am I?"

"This is Tyr's home," Luna said. "He carried you here after he found you in the snow."

"He did?" She looked over at Tyr, who nodded. "…Thank you, Tyr. You saved my life again."

"It's no big deal," He said with a shrug. "Just… next time, just let me take you home, okay?"

"Okay. Although I do think I would have felt lonely at home."

"Being here with all her friends is so much better anyway!" Pinkie giggled.

Well, you should stay in bed for the time being," Twilight said. "Just so you keep warm."

"Alright…" Fluttershy said.

"I'm sorry, Flutters," Dash murmured. "I wish I had been there…"

"It's okay Dash," Fluttershy said with a soft smile. "It's my fault for forgetting I'm not as strong of a flier as you."

"But I…"

"I don't blame you, okay? You didn't let me down or anything."

"Not about today." She sighed. "About—"

"Rainbow Dash. I've thought a lot about our relationship since we broke up." Fluttershy bit her lip. "And… I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"For being my truest friend." She hugged the rainbow haired girl tightly. "You care about me enough to hurt yourself in order for me to be happy."

"…I promised to look out for you Flutters, and that is always going to be true." A pair of sky blue wings unfolded from Dash's back and wrapped around Fluttershy.

"Her wings…!" Twilight murmured.

Dash blinked as her wings flapped once. "My…my wings! They're back!" She flapped once more and lifted up from the floor. "Oh, awesome!"

"More wings, huh…?" Tyr chuckled. He glanced over and saw AJ headed out of the room. Quietly, he followed after. She went down into the kitchen and went over to the fridge. "You alright, AJ?"

AJ glanced back at him, opening the fridge and getting a bottle of water. "…I reckon I'm fine."

"You don't sound too sure."

"It's just…" She sighed. "I was brought up not able to understand a relationship with the same sex."

"I understand that," Tyr said with a small nod. "I was the same way."

"Then why are y'all so calm about it?" She whirled, confusion on her face. "You haven't bat an eye at none of all this!"

Tyr scratched at his head. "For two reasons, mainly. One, I'm kinda partly to blame for Rarity and Pinkie getting together. Second… I've been in your position before."

"Been in my…?"

"I'm not going to go into details. But it's something you have to accept. They are your friends, after all."

"But that doesn't necessarily make it something that's right… right?" AJ shook her head. "I just… can't understand…"

"Can't or won't?" Dash appeared, coming down the stairs. "Does it really bother you that much?"

"Dash, I just… It's just unnatural!"

"Is it that wrong to love someone?"

"No, but two people with the same sex…" AJ lowered her gaze.

Tyr held up a hand. "Both of you, quit it. I'm not going to have this at my house. We're all going to get along here, okay?"

Dash glared at AJ for a while longer before sighing. "Whatever. I'm going back upstairs." She left.

Tyr glanced over at AJ. She wasn't doing anything, focused on the bottle of water in her hands. "…Anything on your mind, Applejack?"

"Just trying to figure out what love is, sugarcube." She walked past him and went upstairs.

Tyr sighed and followed after. Dash had gone back into the room with Fluttershy while the others were still in the game room. "How does it look outside?" Twilight asked.

"Terrible," Tyr said. "I doubt you girls could get home now."

"I guess we'll have to spend the night…"

"We have enough rooms," Sherry offered. "I could share with someone."

"We've got enough room for everyone," Tyr assured her.

"As long as I get to be with Rare-bear, I'm okay!" Pinkie said, hugging Rarity. The fashionista rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

"Really dear, you can't be that attached to me already…"

"Yes I can!"

Tyr shook his head. Luna came over to him. "So am I…?"

He winked. "Of course."

"Ooh, Tyr is planning a midnight rendezvous!" Pinkie giggled.

"You were planning to do the same with Rarity," Tyr shot back.

"Nuh uh!"

"Yes huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

AJ stood up suddenly. "I'm… gonna turn in early. That alright?"

Tyr glanced over at her. "Uh… yeah, sure. You can use one of the empty rooms."

"Thank you kindly. Night y'all."

"Goodnight, Applejack," Rarity said.

"Night AJ!" Pinkie said.

AJ left. There was a bit of silence. "Think she's upset?" Rarity asked.

"Upset about what?" Twilight wondered.

"Probably because all the couples in here are getting all lovey-dovey," Sherry muttered. "Maybe I should go find a boyfriend or something…"

Tyr grabbed her and sat her in his lap. "Thinking about what, Sherry?" He began to tickle her.

"AH!" She squirmed, trying to get away, but her own laughter was weakening her from escaping her father's grasp. "I was—ha ha—just kidding! Daddy, please!"

After a moment longer, Tyr let her go. To be honest, hearing Sherry say Daddy had caught him off guard. "Just… don't grow up too fast, okay?" He said quietly.

Sherry caught her breath. With a small, innocent smile, she lay back against him. "…I won't."

-x-

It was late when everyone decided to finally go to bed. Luna was already curled up in Tyr's bed, and he was about to join her when he heard a sound in the hallway. "Someone is still up?" He wondered aloud. He peeked out to find AJ standing in the hall. "AJ…?"

"Hm?" Applejack glanced over and noticed him watching. "Oh. Sorry Tyr."

"Something wrong?"

"Just… Never gone to sleep in a house like this before."

"Oh. Need anything?"

The farm girl shook her head. "I'm alright. I'm going back to bed." She walked off, going back into the guest room.

"Weird…" Tyr muttered. AJ had been standing outside of Luna's room. "Oh well…"

"Tyr," Luna murmured softly. "Are you coming to bed or not?"

With that sort of invitation, Tyr didn't bother thinking about much else.

-x-

"The snow still hasn't stopped," Tyr said, looking out his window. "Jeez it's really piled up out there.

"I suppose the girls will have to stay longer then?" Luna asked. Sherry was asleep in her lap, and the princess of night was softly stroking her hair. The young girl had wandered in sometime last night and had curled up with them in bed.

"Seems that way. I guess I'll make breakfast for everyone."

He headed downstairs, only to find Fluttershy of all people in the kitchen. She started when he approached. "O-oh! Good morning Tyr."

"Morning, Fluttershy. I wasn't expecting you to be up."

"I felt a little bad for having you take care of me, so I thought…" She trailed off, blushing.

"She wanted ta pay you back a little," Applejack said, coming down the stairs. "Morning, y'all."

Fluttershy smiled. "Good morning, Applejack."

"Yo," Tyr said.

"I was just about to make breakfast."

"I reckon I'll help then." AJ came over to stand beside Fluttershy. Tyr noticed Fluttershy's smile grew a bit larger, but she kept her gaze focused on what she was doing. Confident the two girls could handle things, Tyr went back upstairs. Luna was brushing her hair, Sherry still asleep in her lap.

"She's still asleep?"

"Yes, so it seems." She smiled down at the girl in her lap. "She is quite cute like this, is she not?"

Tyr smiled. "Yeah, she sure is."

Sherry's eyes fluttered open slowly. "Mm… Luna?" She looked up to see her looking at her.

"Good morning, Sherry," Luna said.

"I was… sleeping on you?"

"Yes, you were."

"I'll get up… I'm probably heavy."

"No, you are quite light." Sherry got up anyway, rubbing at her eyes.

"I don't remember coming in here…" She murmured, looking around.

"It's no big deal," Tyr said. "I always tell you that you can come in here anytime."

"Well," Luna said quietly. "Not _every_ time…"

Sherry blushed. "Right… you guys are adults, after all…"

Tyr sighed. "Luna…"

Luna smiled and laughed quietly. "I am only teasing."

Suddenly a pink blur popped through the door, bouncing near the foot of Tyr's bed. "Tyr, Tyr, Tyr, Tyr, Tyr!"

"What is it, Pinkie?" Tyr demanded, trying to fix the party girl with a glare. Pinkie stopped bouncing long enough to return his look with a grin.

"Who's making breakfast?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Fluttershy and AJ are handling it."

Pinkie paused for a moment, an unusual look of pure surprise on her face. Then a slow smile crossed her face. "Oh. Okay. I won't bother them then."

"Pinkie? Not wanting to bother someone?" Tyr glanced out the window. "Where are the flying pigs?"

"Flying pigs?" Pinkie brightened and she ran over to the window. "Where?"

Rarity came to the door, her lavender hair already in its trademark curl. The girl certainly wasted no expense on appearances. "I apologize, Tyr, Luna." She was saying. "I tried to hold her down for a while longer."

"It is alright," Luna said. "We were already awake."

At that moment, a sweet smell wafted into the room. "My word, what is _that_?"

"Fluttershy's cooking!" Pinkie declared, rushing out of the room, past Rarity, and downstairs.

"Oh my, Pinkie! Pinkamena!" Rarity rushed after her.

"Always full of energy," Tyr said with a light chuckle. "Let's head downstairs."

"One minute," Sherry said. She turned to Luna, who was surprised to suddenly be the center of the girl's attention. "Luna, can you help me with something?"

"O-of course, Sherry. I would not mind at all." Luna smiled. "It seems you'll have to go downstairs alone, dearest."

Tyr sighed. "Oh well. Don't be long." He headed out into the hall. At the same time, Twilight emerged from another room, the one she had shared with Applejack. "Morning, Professor."

"Professor…?" Twilight yawned. Her hair and tail were a mess, and she actually had a pair of glasses balanced on the edge of her nose.

"You're like a teacher sometimes, so I figured it would be an apt nickname."

"Professor Twilight… I like the sound of that." She screwed her face up a bit. "By the way, I didn't realize Luna could be so loud…"

Tyr blinked. "Sherry slept with the two of us last night. We slept like rocks."

"Then… that scream was… oh my." A deep blush appeared on her cheeks, and she went back into her room. Tyr grinned wickedly. Twilight was quite innocent, and there was a fashionista waiting downstairs for him to tease. He went downstairs to find chaos in the living room. Pinkie was apologizing to an absolutely irate Rarity who's hair was sticking up at a number of weird angles. Well, apologizing was probably too good of a word for what Pinkie was doing. She was lying curled up on the floor, laughing hysterically. A snicker from the kitchen let Tyr know that AJ and Fluttershy were trying to not laugh as well. Failing to hide his own smile, he came over. "So… what happened?"

"Pinkie spent the whole time down here rubbing her feet against the floor so she could shock me!" Rarity complained. "And now my beautiful hair has been ruined!"

"I was wondering why Pinkie was walking around all normal like," AJ said with a chuckle. "Didn't realize she was dragging her feet…"

"Ooh!" Rarity fumed. "You hairstyle killer!"

"Oh come now Rarity, that can't take that long to fix," Tyr said. Rarity fixed him with such a vicious glare that his words caught in his throat.

Pinkie finally regained her voice long enough to sit up. "I'm really sorry, Rare-bear," She said, giggling a little. "But I just _had_ to tease you."

Rarity huffed. "You better be glad I can't be mad at you for long."

"Yay!" The pink blur shot to Rarity and affixed itself to her waist.

Twilight and Dash came down then, the latter still yawning. "I dragged her out of bed," Twilight added as an explanation.

Dash dropped unceremoniously onto the couch. "Egghead here woke me up. The smell of food brought me down."

"Well, you're just in time," Fluttershy said, turning around with a gigantic tray covered in all sorts of breakfast treats on it. Tyr wondered momentarily where that tray had come from. "Breakfast is served!"

Tyr had never really used the main dining hall, so it was a big affair to dust off the massive mahogany table and chairs. It could easily seat the nine people in the house, and the room itself was ornate and the walls were adorned with trinkets and hunting trophies. As they set up the table, Luna and Sherry joined them. Luna had her hair tied back in a ponytail for once, and Tyr was pleased to see all of his lovely girlfriend's face. Sherry on the other hand, had styled her hair like Luna normally did, with her bangs draped over one side of her face and the rest left to cascade about her shoulders. Tyr raised an eyebrow, but had to admit the young girl looked cute. With everyone assembled, they began to eat. Tyr had never seen his house so lively. With nine people sharing breakfast, laughing, talking and poking fun at one another, it was an experience he had never truly had. Having Pinkie try and force feed him a muffin, Twilight scolding AJ and Dash on their eating habits, Fluttershy and Rarity eating daintily and slowly, and even Luna and Sherry talking excitedly beside him… He felt his eyes tear up. His grandfather had always loved company. Always pushed him to make new friends. The old man would have been smiling like a Cheshire cat at the scene in the old house today. He didn't realize he had started crying until the room fell silent and everyone was looking at him. "Tyr, darling, is something the matter?" Rarity asked softly.

"Huh?" Tyr felt the singular tear drop from his face. He rubbed at his eyes. "Sorry, I guess… I guess I'm not used to having so many people in the house at one time."

"But isn't it fun?" A bright voice asked. Tyr moved his arm aside to see two bright blue eyes shaded by pink looking deep into his. Pinkie's eyes had an earnest look to them. Tyr couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, it's fun. It's really fun. The most fun I've had in a long time." Hanging out with friends, Tyr wanted to add, but didn't. The girls seemed to assume it had been said, however.

"Then, sugarcube, tell us why you're crying," AJ said.

"People don't just cry for no good reason," Twilight agreed. "Is something bothering you?"

When Tyr shook his head, Fluttershy looked confused. "Then why…?"

"Because I really wish you all had met my grandfather."

The other girls fell silent as Tyr began to talk. He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, but his heart was tipped over and the contents were pouring out. He spoke of his grandfather, an old man in age alone. The crazy man had lived his life to its fullest, with a single word of advice whenever his grandson would call him out on his recklessness.

I'll rest when I'm dead.

Tyr had felt the old man would live forever, acting the way he did. Diving in the ocean, riding hang gliders, driving incredibly fast… even at ninety the old man could still out do Tyr when it came to stamina. He was always moving, always doing something. Tyr felt like he had never seen the man sleep. Until that last day had come. Tyr had asked his grandfather if he would go with him to his twenty-sixth birthday party. It was really the night before, and Tyr's grandfather was already well known amongst his circle of friends. However, the old man had simply smiled and told him to enjoy himself, that he would stay home. Tyr didn't think anything of it until he got home after midnight and found the old man sitting on the couch, asleep. He had gone over to wake him, and the old man's eyes had fluttered open for a short minute. He had asked what time it was. Tyr had told him it was past midnight. His grandfather had nodded then, as if agreeing to something. Then with closed eyes and a soft smile, he wished his grandson a happy birthday. Tyr had managed to say thank you before he realized that his grandfather had gone completely still. Seated like that on the couch, he really looked like he was sleeping. Tyr had seen death before. Had experienced loss before. But he hadn't hesitated before he rushed back out the door, when to the nearest bar, and drunk himself into a stupor. When he finally staggered home, he was greeted by his grandfather, still in that same position, the same contented smile on his face. Tyr had never sobered up as quickly as he did in that moment.

"The funeral we held was pretty tame in comparison to his life," Tyr said, hanging his head. No one had spoken during the entire time Tyr had been talking, not even Pinkie. "No loud noises, nothing. I remember laughing at the absurdity of it all. A quiet funeral for a man who would raise hell on a whim."

The room stayed silent for a long while. No one seemed to want to disturb the moment. After a long minute, Pinkie stood up. She picked up a single blueberry muffin, shuffled over to stand beside Tyr's chair and held it out to him. "…Muffin," She said after a long moment.

"Muffin?" Tyr looked from Pinkie to the muffin she had in her hand, and then back again.

Pinkie nodded slowly. "Muffin."

Tyr was silent. He took the pastry from her, took a bite out of it, and swallowed. And then he began to laugh. Slowly, only a light chuckle under his breath, and then he was laughing full-chested, the sheer ridiculousness of the situation getting to him. At the sound of his pure laughter, his gathered friends began to laugh too, first Pinkie, then Sherry and Luna, and then it was among them all, rolling along the walls and ceiling, and then back around again. Tyr was sure if he had close neighbors they would have called in a noise complaint, such was the racket they were making. The laughter finally died down a few minutes later, everyone exhausted from the pent up emotion that had so easily rolled out of them. Tyr could feel the tears on his face were warm ones of joy. After a minute catching his breath, he glanced at the pink party person, who was grinning from ear to ear. "What the hell, Pinkie?"

"Nobody should ever feel sad," Pinkie said honestly, her laughter falling away as if she could control it. Hell, she probably could, Tyr reasoned. "I'm the Element of Laughter after all! If you're ever feeling down, you can count on Pinkamena Diane Pie to lift your spirits!"

"She has a point, however absurd it may be," Rarity said, smiling as Pinkie fell into her lap. "We are your friends, darling. We'll be here for you if you need us."

"Don't ever hesitate to count on us," Twilight agreed.

Dash scoffed. "I guess you're cool enough to be considered a friend," She said with a smirk, before wincing when Fluttershy poked her in the side. "Okay, he's cool!"

"We consider ya like a part of the family, sugarcube," Applejack added.

"It seems you have a wonderful group of friends, my beloved," Luna said softly, smiling at her boyfriend.

"And a wonderful girlfriend and daughter to go with it." He pulled Luna and Sherry close, hugging them tightly.

"Oh my, what a wonderful picture!" Rarity cooed, a moment before a flash of light startled her. "Pinkie! Where on earth did you get that camera!?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets!" Pinkie declared.

"Honestly dear…"

"So are we done with the mushy stuff yet?" Dash asked.

"Yes, we're done with the mushy stuff," Tyr assured her.

"Good!"

"Dashie never was one for romance," Fluttershy mumbled. When she realized what she had said, she covered her mouth. Dash shot her a dirty look, but Rarity was the next to speak.

"No romance?" Rarity looked shocked. "My, you have to have romance! It keeps excitement in a relationship!"

Tyr glanced at Luna. He hadn't done anything romantic for her, had he? Hm… "Well, I'm sorry I don't spend all my time reading those romance novels," Dash was saying, snapping back at Rarity.

"I do not spend all my time reading romance novels!"

Pinkie frowned. "But Rare-bear, I thought you said that was your favorite type of book?"

"Oh, Pinkie…" Rarity sighed as Dash laughed.

"Come on y'all," AJ said. "No point in getting at each other like this. Storms still going strong out there."

It wasn't as hard as it had been going the other day, Tyr noticed, but the windows were still obscured by white. "So we might be stuck here for a while longer," Twilight reasoned.

"Hope my family ain't too worried…"

"Sorry for all this, darling," Rarity said to Tyr.

"It's no trouble really," Tyr assured her. "I'm just hoping we have enough food."

"Oh!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "I'm so sorry for using so much this morning…"

"No, I tend to buy in bulk, so it's fine. I had gone out to stock up when I heard the storm was coming anyway."

"Look at you, all responsible like!" AJ said with a wide grin.

"He is a father, after all," Twilight said.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Well, the shower's open for everyone. I'll take one later."

"I suppose I should first," Rarity said, standing. "All I've done today is style my hair."

"I'll join you!" Pinkie said. Before Rarity could say anything or protest, Pinkie had pushed her into the downstairs bathroom. Twilight laughed to herself and went upstairs.

"Oh my," Fluttershy murmured.

Dash grinned and put an arm around the shy girl. "Remember when we were like that?" She teased. Fluttershy turned scarlet and hid her face in her hair.

"I remember you always being so forceful," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Well, you always seemed to enjoy it."

Tyr chuckled to himself, but his laughter went away when he glanced over at AJ. She had fallen silent, watching Dash and Fluttershy. "You alright, AJ?"

"I'm gonna head back upstairs," she said, standing up. "Let me know when Miss Prissy is out of the shower."

"Considering she's in there with Pinkie, that may be a while," Dash said with a laugh.

AJ tensed up. "I… I can wait."

"Something wrong, Applejack?" Fluttershy asked, looking up at her friend. Her blue eyes were full of worry. AJ bit her lip, pulling down the brim of her hat to obscure her face.

Dash looked at AJ for a long moment. "It still bothers you, huh?" She said with venom, standing up. "Us being lesbians?"

"That ain't it Rainbow Dash," AJ attempted to defend herself.

"Then what? Because every time you look at me and Flutters, or Pinkie and Rarity, you get all quiet!"

"Just drop it, RD!" AJ snapped. "I don't want to talk about it."

"…Homophobe."

AJ nearly leapt across the table, only coming up short because Tyr and Luna caught her. But the one who spoke up was Fluttershy. "How dare you, Dashie!" She said, standing up. She was as tall as Rainbow Dash, if not taller. "You hanging all over me probably just made her uncomfortable because we aren't together!"

Dash seemed taken aback by the sudden outburst from her normally shy friend. "But… we're still friends, right?"

Fluttershy seemed to calm down a bit. "We're all friends, Dashie. There is no reason to call Applejack names."

"…Sorry."

AJ had already gotten hold of herself. "..s'alright."

Dash stayed silent for a moment before turning on her heel and going upstairs. Fluttershy watched her go, a sad look on her face. "Dashie…"

Applejack sat down hard. Tyr sat beside her. Sometime during the argument Sherry had slipped out of the room. "Something is bothering you," He said quietly.

"I don't… I'm just…" She searched for the words.

Luna frowned. "Talk to us, Applejack. We are your friends."

AJ sighed deeply. "I don't wanna lie to y'all…"

"Then don't," Tyr said flatly. "I heard you were the Element of Honesty, right? So just tell us what's up."

AJ looked up at Fluttershy, who was looking at her expectantly. "I… I been having a lot of thoughts lately."

"Thoughts?" Luna frowned. "About what, in particular?"

"About… well, love. I been seeing you and Tyr be all happy, and then with Pinkie and Rarity…"

"Is it jealousy?"

"No! Nothing like that." AJ started messing with her ponytail as she spoke. "It's just… I was taking notice of it a lot more."

"Notice of what?" Tyr frowned.

"That… A lot of the stuff I thought about myself was… not what I thought."

Now where had he heard this before? Tyr thought, but didn't say anything, as Luna spoke his mind for him. "You mean like Rarity did?"

"…Yeah. I think I'm attracted to women too. At least… one in particular."

Her eyes fell meaningfully on Fluttershy. "Me?" The shy girl said, eyes wide. "Applejack… you like me?"

"I didn't think much of it until you and Dash said you were together… at least, were breaking up," AJ said weakly. "And then I thought that… maybe I had a chance."

"Then why did it seem like you were against a homosexual couple?" Luna asked.

"Because my granny sees it on the television, and she always says it's unnatural." She sighed. "I don't want to disappoint Granny Smith…"

"But you love Fluttershy, don't you?" Tyr asked.

"I… I do."

"Then it shouldn't matter, should it?" When the farm girl looked up at him in surprise, he shrugged. "I told you before, it's not something that bothers me. And you know Fluttershy won't be upset."

"I really am flattered," Fluttershy said, coming over. With a tentative motion, she leaned in to rest her forehead against AJ's. "Applejack… would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?"

AJ chuckled. "You know I'd do almost anything for you, sugar."

"Well there's that," Tyr said with a satisfied smile.

"So what do we tell the others?" Applejack asked as Fluttershy sat beside her and rested her head on AJ's shoulder.

"You don't need to worry about that, darling!" Suddenly, Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight and Dash came back into the room, all wearing wide smiles.

"What in tarnation…?" AJ frowned at seeing her friends. "What did y'all do?"

"I came up with a plan to get the two of you together!" Rarity said proudly.

"You got all this to happen?"

"Not everything. Tyr and Luna fell into it on their own. But we were doing all we could so that you would just own up to your feelings, Applejack dear."

"I could see you liked Flutters," Dash said. "Plus, Fluttershy has had a crush on your for a long time."

AJ glanced over at her new girlfriend, who was currently hiding her face. "That true, sugar?"

Fluttershy nodded. "I… really like how strong you are, and your dedication… plus, you go out of your way to be nice to me and help me."

"So all that leaves is me and Egghead," Dash said, glancing over at Twilight. She grinned.

Twilight blinked. "Huh? Me? Oh no, I already have a boyfriend."

All eyes fell on the violet haired librarian. Tyr summed up all their feelings with one word:

"What!?"


	12. Chapter 11: A Change of Pace

Chapter 11: A Change of Pace

"It looks like it's finally letting up," Twilight said, looking out the window. The storm had picked up last night, keeping up an unholy amount of noise. In addition, a whole new layer of snow had piled up outside of the house. But the storm had passed, and that was the good news. It was bittersweet, Tyr figured, as his friends gathered their things to leave. Having them all over made the house extremely lively, and he felt as though he was getting closer to all of them. "It was a wonderful time," Rarity was saying. "Although I will have to take another shower and redo all my makeup, and my hair, my tail…"

"And I've got so much to plan!" Pinkie said excitedly. "There's a Christmas party I have to do!"

"I need to get home to all my animals," Fluttershy murmured.

"Same here," AJ agreed.

"Sorry for staying so long," Twilight said. Tyr waved a hand dismissively.

"No, it's no problem. In fact, you guys are always welcome to come by." He grinned. "I was fun having you all over."

"Then we should have a Christmas party here!" Pinkie cried.

Rarity frowned. "Pinkie, don't just go assuming things…"

Tyr smiled. "Actually, that is a good idea. Just make sure to clear everything with me first."

"Kay~" Pinkie giggled.

"Ah, just one more thing," AJ said, turning to Twilight. The librarian blinked as her friend faced her. "I wanted to apologize to you, Twi."

"Apologize?" Twilight was surprised. "Applejack… It's alright. I really wanted to apologize to you."

"To me?"

"Yes! I hit you, that's something I didn't think you would forgive me for."

AJ smiled and rubbed her cheek, remembering the sharp slap Twilight had given her. "I did deserve it, to be honest. But thanks for that."

Twilight went over to her and hugged her. "I was afraid I had ruined our friendship for good."

"Can't get rid of me that easily," AJ chuckled, hugging her back.

"Group hug!" Suddenly, Pinkie was there, hugging them both. "Come on, girls!"

"Oh this is outrageous," Rarity murmured, as Fluttershy and Dash joined the hug. Seeing her girlfriend's face, however, convinced her. She rolled her eyes and joined in.

"You guys too," Dash said, pointing at Tyr and Luna. "You're in this as well."

"But…" Luna didn't get much time to resist before Tyr had dragged her over. The eight of them shared a large group hug.

With a few more goodbyes, the six girls trudged off into the snow. The snowplows were already out in force, and the roads were beginning to clear. Before they left, AJ had presented Tyr with an apple shaped pin her family wore. Fluttershy had given him a butterfly shaped charm to add to his necklace. It was starting to seem like the necklace was starting to become a symbol of the friendships Tyr had made. He was honestly just happy to see them all friends again. Tyr watched them from the doorway until they were all out of sight. "…And they're gone," He murmured.

"Miss them already?" Sherry asked from the couch.

"I suppose so," Tyr said. "It was lively with them all here."

"I enjoyed myself as well," Luna said. "But the quiet… is nice too."

"Should I be locking myself in the game room while you guys have your time alone?" Sherry asked, sticking out her tongue at them.

"Oh be quiet you." Tyr smiled. Although having some private time with his princess didn't sound so bad…

"Did you hear something?" Luna said suddenly.

"Hear what?"

"Silence please." Luna held out a hand. The three of them fell completely silent. Then, Tyr heard it. A soft tapping at the front door. "Is… Is that someone knocking?"

"Maybe one of the girls forgot something?" Tyr went over to the door. "From how soft that knocking is, it's probably Fluttershy…" He opened the door, and was greeted to something falling on his feet. The body of a shivering girl lay at his feet. Her skin was dark, much darker than Tyr's, and her long, dark, cerulean hair lay ragged about her. She was almost literally turning blue from the cold.

"By the night!" Luna rushed over as Tyr lifted the girl into his arms. She looked about the age of a teenager, and was thin and lanky, although how much of that was natural of malnourishment was yet to be seen. He also noticed she had a tail as well. Must be an Equestrian… "Does she yet live?"

"She's freezing cold, but still breathing," Tyr murmured. Way worse than when he pulled Fluttershy out of the snow. "Luna. Sherry. I need one of the guest beds made up and get the space heater into the room. We need to warm her up quickly."

"At once!" Luna said. She and Sherry rushed upstairs.

"Hey. Hey, wake up." Tyr said softly, shaking the girl. He couldn't let her sleep. He prodded her face a bit, and was relieved to see her eyes flutter open slightly. He was surprised to see her eyes were a brilliant green. "Hey there. Don't fall asleep on me, alright?"

"So… so c-cold…" She murmured, eyelids drooping.

"Hey, don't fall asleep." He began carrying her upstairs, shaking her to keep her awake. "Can you tell me your name?"

"C-Chrys… Chrysalis…"

"The bed is ready!" Sherry said. Tyr brought their new guest into the room. He put her in bed and pulled the blankets over her. Luna turned on the room heater. "Will she be okay?"

"We have to keep a close eye on her, but she should be alright," Tyr assured her. He reached out to brush Chrysalis's hair out of her face. A little color was beginning to return to her. "You feeling better?"

The freezing girl nodded slightly, still shivering a bit. "I'll make some soup!" Sherry offered helpfully.

"That's a good idea. You hungry?" Tyr directed his question at his new guest. Chrysalis nodded softly. As Sherry ran downstairs, Tyr glanced over at his girlfriend, who had a frown on her face. "What's the matter, Luna?"

Luna shook her head. "I cannot place it, truly. I thought for a moment I recognized her."

"She has a tail, so she must be Equestrian at least."

"That is true." Luna looked over at the quiet girl. She was looking at the wall blankly. "Well, all we can do for now is warm her up."

-x-

Celestia looked up from the papers on her desk to see one of her guards, Ace Guard, waiting respectfully by the door. "Is something the matter, Ace?" She asked, smiling softly. Ace had the tendency to keep quiet until addressed no matter the occasion.

"Lady Celestia." The blonde bodyguard cleared his throat. "A message from Lady Mi Amore Cadenza and Lord Shining Armor arrived earlier. It seems there is an urgent matter they wished to discuss with you."

"Urgent…" Celestia's smile faded. Cadence and Shining armor would never exaggerate anything. "It must be important. What is the matter?"

"They said they will be arriving personally tomorrow in order to discuss this with you and the other Princesses… I mean, Lady Twilight and Lady Luna."

Celestia's smile returned. Most of her people from Equestria still referred to her as a Princess, along with the others. Only humans really called her 'Lady Celestia'. "Very well. Have Flash Sentry and Night Watch alert Twilight and my sister."

"As you wish, my lady." Ace bowed slightly before leaving the office. Celestia sighed. For the moment, she had found life in the quiet town to be amazingly relaxing. And now there was a big issue surfacing.

"I suppose we were due a crisis," She chuckled softly to herself.

-x-x-

"As much as I enjoy riding with you on your bike," Luna said, "I find it may not be the most prudent when I have to dress formally."

"Apologies," Tyr grunted, letting her hop off the bike. To be sure, a skirt like the one Luna was wearing wasn't the best thing to be in while riding on a motorcycle. However, it was his only form of transportation. He himself was dressed in a simple white dress shirt with black pants, with a vest over it. In addition, he was wearing a leather holster and pistol, something he had taken to wearing ever since he had started as Luna's bodyguard. "I guess getting a car is probably something I'll have to do, huh?"

"Most likely." Luna glanced over to the office building her sister was using as a hub of government for the Equestrian people. A pair of guards were waiting at the front door. "Flash Sentry, Night Watch. It is good to see you two."

"Same to you, Lady Luna," Flash said. He nodded respectfully towards Tyr.

"Is my sister waiting inside?" Luna asked.

"Yes, Lady Cadance is already inside, along with her husband."

"Good. Tyr, follow me." Luna led Tyr past the outer guards and into the building. Tyr took notice of Night Watch's dark eyes following Luna as they passed by. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the dark haired guard. Celestia's office was on the third floor, so they rode the elevator up. As the doors opened, Tyr was greeted by a sight he never thought he would see.

"Sunshine, Sunshine, Butterflies awake! Clap your hands and do a little shake!" Twilight was doing the most adorable, embarrassing and silly dance he had ever seen with a slender woman with multicolored hair. They were giggling at some inside joke.

"Well, that was adorable," Tyr said with a smirk. Twilight whirled on the spot, a blush rushing to her face.

"Tyr! You… I guess it makes sense for you to be here…"

"Friend of yours?" The other woman asked, looking over. "Luna! It has been a while."

"It truly has, Cadance," Luna said with a smile. "This is Tyr. He is my… boyfriend."

A look of surprise crossed Cadance's face. She came over closer to Tyr. This close, he could see that her hair and tail were streaked with white, pink and purple, with some highlights of gold. Her violet eyes widened as she looked him over. "He's cute," She murmured.

"Uh… thanks?" Tyr offered.

She backed up a bit. "You love Luna, don't you?"

"I… yes, yes I do." Tyr could sense Luna blush off to his side.

"I could tell." Cadance grinned.

"Oh she's at it again." A well-dressed man with dark blue hair with lighter streaks came in from a side room. He was followed by Ace Guard, who was armed. "Cady, you just can't help yourself, can you?"

"When there's love in the air, I'll be there!" Cadance giggled.

"Big brother!" Twilight ran over and embraced the new comer. He hugged her back with a wide grin.

"How ya been, Twily?"

"Who is that?" Tyr asked quietly.

"That's Shining Armor," Cadance answered. "My husband."

"You must be Tyr," Shining Armor said. "Luna's new bodyguard?"

"That's me," Tyr replied. The two men shared a handshake.

"And her lover!" Cadance said with a bit of giggling.

"Cadance, please…" Luna pleaded.

"Embarrass my sister some other time," Celestia said with a laugh, coming out of her office. "We have business to discuss."

"Is that why you called Luna and I?" Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. "Come in to the meeting room. Tyr, you should come in as well."

Tyr blinked. "Um… yes ma'am."

Celestia led them into the meeting hall. She took a seat at the head of the table, while the other three princesses and Shining Armor took seats around the table. Tyr stood on the wall behind Luna. "So," Celestia said. "Cadance. Tell me what was so urgent."

Cadance's face took on a serious mien. "Shiny and I noticed something as the Merge was happening."

"What was it?" Luna asked.

"A surge of magic that we recognized almost immediately," Shining said, helping out his wife. "We recognize it because we had faced it ourselves before."

"It wasn't Sombra, was it?" Twilight asked, worried.

"No, it wasn't." Cadance frowned. "It was Chrysalis."

Tyr almost dropped his phone as he was reading a text from Sherry. Their guest had yet again thrown up the soup she had made. All eyes turned to him. "Is something amiss, beloved?" Luna asked quietly.

"The girl we brought in…" He said quietly. "…Her name was Chrysalis."

The mood in the room suddenly darkened. "…You brought Chrysalis into your home?" Celestia asked slowly.

"Is she dangerous?"

"Dangerous?" Cadance looked furious. "That… _creature_ stole my husband from me and locked me away in a crystal mine to die! She almost took over our entire nation! Of course she's dangerous!"

"Calm yourself, Cadance!" Luna said sharply. The tone of the rebuke caught Cadance off guard. "Tyr was unaware of her identity, as was I. He brought her into his home out of the goodness of his heart."

"She was freezing," Tyr said in his defense. "I couldn't just leave her out there…"

Twilight turned to her sister-in-law. "I can personally attest to that. Tyr is a very kind-hearted individual. He couldn't leave a person—or changeling—out there in the cold."

Cadance blinked a few times, before sighing ad shaking her head. "Is she still at your house?" Shining asked.

"Yeah, I left her with Sherry…" His eyes widened. "Sherry…!"

"She should not be in much danger at the moment," Celestia said, rising. "Chrysalis was severely weakened when Shining Armor and Cadance's spell forced her and the other Changelings out of Equestria."

"Seems even in that weakened state, she still managed to survive the Merge," Cadance said ruefully. "After all the fighting afterwards, I thought we were done with her for good…"

"We should return to Tyr's home, and see what has become of our old enemy." Celestia led them out of the room, and made a short motion with her hand. Ace and Flash were there at once.

"Yes, Lady Celestia?"

"Ready a car for us. We're going to Tyr's house."

-x-

Sherry came running out of the house as Tyr pulled up in front of the house with Luna behind him. "Dad!"

"Sherry, what's wrong?" Tyr got off the bike, a frown on his face. Celestia and the others pulled up a moment later. Ace and Night got out first, slowly casing the house. As the other three princesses got out of the car, Sherry's eyes widened.

"Uh… The girl you brought in," she said after getting the stars out of her eyes, "She still can't keep anything down, and keeps throwing up the soup."

"Changelings can't eat normal food," Cadance murmured. "They feed off emotions, particularly strong ones like love."

Cadance and Shining Armor went inside, followed by Celestia and her guards. None of them seemed happy. "I feel like I messed up here, Luna…" Tyr muttered. He was really bad at first impressions, wasn't he?

Luna put a comforting hand on his arm. "You only did what was in your nature, beloved."

"Is something bad going to happen?" Sherry asked.

"No… I hope. Let's go inside." The three of them went inside. Celestia and the others were already upstairs, so they went up after them. Night Watch was outside of the room.

"Didn't realize you were into taking in dangerous criminals," He sneered.

"I guess I'm just too kind for my own good," Tyr replied with a frown.

"You got that right."

Luna walked over to the guard. Despite her small stature, he visibly drew back when she faced him. "You may believe Tyr to be in the wrong, but at least he has the kindness to extend a helping hand to a stranger. I will not let you fault him for that."

Night Watch swallowed heavily. "I… I apologize, princess."

Luna nodded curtly and went into the room. Tyr gave the chastened guard a smirk as he went into the room as well. As he entered, a pair of scared green eyes darted to him. "You… you brought them here?" She whispered.

"We almost didn't know you were here," Celestia said. "Cadance and Shining Armor alerted us not too long ago. We pieced it together."

Chrysalis shifted uncomfortably. "…Am I to assume you're here to finish me off?"

"As much as I would like to say that is the case…" Cadance sighed. "I am the Princess of Love. Ordering you killed would be harsh."

"You're not afraid I'll try to take control again? Steal your loving husband?"

"Chrysalis," Tyr said quietly. "Don't. Please."

Her eyes shot over to him. She was surprised to see he looked disappointed. The man had been taking care of her, and seeing him unhappy… made her sad. "I… I apologize." She murmured softly. What was she doing, she wondered. Worried about some man's opinion?

Cadance seemed to be thinking the same thing. She glanced back at Tyr. "You've been taking care of her this whole time?"

"I guess you could say that," Tyr said. "To be honest, I didn't know what I was going to do if she didn't eat."

Celestia thought for a minute. "Tyr. A question, if you will."

"Yes?"

"If I were to put her in your custody, would you be able to make sure she stays on her best behavior?"

"What?" Cadance, Chrysalis, and Shining Armor all said at once.

"Hear me out, all of you." Celestia smiled. "I believe Tyr would be well suited to keeping an eye on Chrysalis."

"You mean, like how Fluttershy reformed Discord?" Twilight asked. "But Fluttershy is an Element of Harmony! How is Tyr going to reform Chrysalis?"

"The very same way. You say it yourself Twilight, Friendship is Magic." Celestia smiled. "Have you forgotten, my dear Princess of Friendship?"

Twilight blushed. "Oh… right. Sorry Princess Celestia."

Celestia turned to Tyr. "Do you believe you can handle that?"

Tyr glanced over at Chrysalis. She was staring down at her lap, keeping her eyes averted and hidden behind her long unruly hair. "…What happens to her if I can't?"

"We'd lock her up in a windowless room," Shining informed him. "And leave her there."

Chrysalis shuddered at the thought. Tyr noticed. "So she'd be under my custody, is that it?"

"I will be expecting reports on her actions," Celestia said. She turned to Chrysalis. "If you are not on your best behavior or Tyr says you are doing anything harmful to another person, human or Equestrian, you will be punished. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Chrysalis murmured. "I'm the last Changeling after all… You saw to that."

"You were threatening my people," Celestia said. "And declared war on us. I am giving you this opportunity to change, Chrysalis. It is your decision to make."

"A question," Luna said. "If Chrysalis is staying here, how are we supposed to feed her?"

"I can survive with simple basic affection," Chrysalis said half-heartedly. "I only fed off of Shining Armor's love so that I would get stronger. With my magic gone, and my people annihilated… I don't care anymore. I just want to survive."

"Are you sure about this?" Luna asked.

Tyr thought for a long moment. After hearing that she was dangerous, yes he had wanted her gone. But seeing her like this, squirming awkwardly as all eyes on the room were on her and sneaking glances at him… she was cute. Perhaps Celestia was right, he could 'reform' her. If that meant all he had to do was be her friend… He smiled. Chrysalis's eyes widened and then shot back to her lap. "…I think I can handle it."

"Very well then." Celestia nodded. "She is under your care."

Tyr nodded. "Of course, ma'am."

"Be careful with her," Cadance warned. "If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask."

"Of course. Luna will be watching out for me anyway," He said with a small laugh.

"Well… I guess we will leave it at that," Celestia said. "Take good care of yourselves and her, Tyr."

Celestia led her group out of the room, leaving only Twilight behind. "Should I tell the girls?" She asked Tyr.

"I would appreciate it, Twilight. As far as I can tell, Chrysalis caused you guys a lot of trouble, huh?"

"Quite a bit," Twilight said.

"Well, if it means anything, I'm sorry." Chrysalis murmured. "I was doing what I thought was best for my people."

Without thinking much of it, Tyr reached out to gently stroke her hair. Her eyes widened, but she eagerly leaned into his touch. "Well, you'll be living with us now. So no trying to feed of my love for Luna, got it?"

"Very well. As long as I get attention like this, I should be fine." She purred softly.

"…What are you, a cat?"

"I am a Changeling," Chrysalis said proudly.

"Alright then. Chrysalis, you'll have to get along with Luna and Sherry."

"Sherry…? Ah, the girl who was watching me while you were gone."

"Hey," Sherry said from the doorway. She seemed a bit wary of entering the room.

"I won't bite," Chrysalis assured her, smiling. Tyr frowned.

"Those fangs say otherwise," He muttered.

Chrysalis blinked, reached up to touch her teeth, and then laughed nervously. "Ah, right…"

Twilight smiled. "Well, I'll leave you guys. See you for the Christmas party, Tyr."

"Ah, right. See ya." Twilight left.

"What is a Christmas party?" Chrysalis asked.

"A celebration the humans have where they give one another gifts," Luna said. She smiled proudly. "I did my research."

Tyr couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's innocence. "Well, good. Eventually Pinkie will be coming over to do… whatever, so we'll have to be ready for that."

"What about me?" Chrysalis asked. "Am I going to be confined here?"

"Of course not. You can enjoy the party too."

-x-

"So Tyr is Chrysalis's new guardian?" Rarity asked, incredulous. "How could Princess Celestia allow that?" She, along with the other five Elements of Harmony were at Twilight's home, essentially a second library. Twilight had called them all together shortly after leaving Tyr's home.

"She believes it will be a similar situation to when Fluttershy reformed Discord."

"You did point out Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness, right?" Dash asked. "Plus, how many pegasii and earth ponies were lost getting rid of those Changelings anyway?"

"It was quite a lot," AJ agreed. "It'd be different if Princess Celestia had pick one a us, but Tyr is just a human."

"He is far from normal, thought," Twilight said thoughtfully. "I was watching Chrysalis. She seems to really want to live. She's the last of her kind, anyway."

"So you want to give her a chance?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"If Discord could be reformed, why not her?" Pinkie asked.

"Cadance doesn't trust her," Twilight said, "But Princess Celestia wants to give her a chance."

"Well," Dash said with a huff, "I'm going to be keeping a close eye on her. If she tries anything…"

"I believe we'll all be doing the same thing, darling," Rarity agreed. "If all the princesses agreed to it, however, we can't pass judgement so quickly."

"I suppose we'll have to have faith in Tyr, huh?" AJ asked.

"We can still help him," Twilight assured her friends. "We're his friends after all."

"Well, I have a party to plan," Pinkie said, standing. "So we can worry about Chrissy later."

Everyone looked over at her. "…Chrissy?" AJ mumbled, confused.

"I dunno, Chrysalis sounds complicated to say all the time, doesn't it?"

"…Anyway, She's going to be staying at Tyr's house. We can rely on him and Luna to watch her," Twilight said. "So for now, we just hope nothing bad happens."

"We make sure nothing bad happens," Dash corrected, cracking her knuckles.


	13. Chapter 12: Familial Bonds

Chapter 12: Familial Bonds

Christmas day was quite active, for once in Tyr's household. The only person who wasn't doing anything was Chrysalis, who was ignorant of anything that was happening.

"Okay!" Pinkie said cheerily. She stepped back to admire her work. Tyr's house had been covered in Christmas decorations and was almost literally oozing Christmas cheer. "What do you think?"

"It seems overdone," Chrysalis murmured from her seat in the kitchen. Somewhere along the line, someone had stuck a Christmas hat on her head. She was none too happy about it, but hadn't bothered to take it off.

"I think it looks good," Tyr said, petting Chrysalis. Her expression brightened a little. He had been doing little things like this since she moved in, hugs and pettings that always served to make her happier and—it was still a strange concept to him—feed her. For her part, Chrysalis mostly kept to herself, but Sherry and Luna had roped her into playing games with them. She was becoming part of the family, Tyr thought with a smile.

"Well, I'm all done," Pinkie said. "I can do no more… until we get to enjoy the party!"

Tyr looked over at the tall Christmas tree he had gone out and gotten a couple days ago. Luna was finishing up putting the decorations onto it. "Need some help, princess?"

"No, I believe I am done." Luna set one last bulb onto the tree. She glanced down into the box and frowned. "No wait, there is one more…"

"One more?" Tyr paused his hand. Chrysalis looked disappointed. Luna held up a small object that looked like a handmade angel.

"What is this, Tyr?" Luna asked.

"That…" Tyr came over and took it from her. It was roughly made, but it was obvious someone had put time and effort into making it. "This is an ornament my little sister made for me quite a few Christmases back." A soft smile crossed his face.

"You have a sister?" Chrysalis asked.

"I have three. One older, two younger."

"I am correct in assuming they do not live in town?"

Tyr shook his head. "The younger two live with my older sister. They live out in a big city, since Nanna—the oldest—is a scientist."

"So your youngest sister made this?" Luna said.

"Yeah, Sif really wanted to get me a gift, and Nanna convinced her to make me something. She was really bad at stuff like this when she was younger." Tyr shook his head. "I'll put this somewhere. Don't worry."

The doorbell rang. "I got it!" Sherry called, rushing out of the kitchen. She ran over to open the door.

"Hey there Sherry," Twilight said with a smile, coming in. Spike came in behind her, A few presents in his arms. "Anywhere to put these?"

"Under the tree, of course," Tyr said with a grin. Twilight took a seat on the couch while Spike set the gifts down.

"So how are you all doing?"

"It's… good," Tyr said. "Chrysalis is getting comfortable."

"I like it here," Chrysalis said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Tyr's affection is quite… delectable."

"You don't have to convince me," Luna murmured under her breath.

"It's like having one of my sisters here," Tyr said, pulling Luna into a one armed embrace. "Sherry's enjoying having someone new to play with."

"Chrysalis is actually good at some games," Sherry said, pulling a tray of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. After her successes at the bakery, it seemed like they were her specialty. "I don't have to worry about playing against someone who knows the game better than me."

"I am behaving myself," Chrysalis said, giving Twilight a pointed glare.

"Chrysalis. Twilight and the others are just wary," Tyr pointed out softly. "From what you've told me, they don't have much reason to trust you."

Chrysalis frowned and went back to staring out the window. "Fair enough."

"You can say that again!" Dash said, bursting in. Behind her was Scootaloo, who was now in awe of the decorations around the house. Dash tossed a few gifts under the tree. "I don't know how you can trust her."

Chrysalis looked a bit sad, and looked away. "…I never asked for your trust."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Pinkie said suddenly. "It's Christmas! We shouldn't be fighting!"

"Pinkie Pie has a point," Luna agreed. "This should be a happy occasion, correct?"

Dash rolled her eyes. "Fine…"

Applejack and her siblings arrived then. "I hope y'all don't mind, but I brought Big Mac with me." She said as they came in. Although she was still wearing her usual Stetson hat, she had dressed a bit more festively, with red lace boots instead of her usual work boots.

"The more the merrier," Tyr said, nodding in greeting. Big Mac nodded back and set the large gifts he was carrying beside the tree. It still amazed Tyr how much weight the farmhand could shoulder without visible effort. Applebloom immediately joined Scootaloo and Sherry in the kitchen.

"Oh, don't close the door, darling!" A voice called just as Tyr was about to do just that. He looked out to see Fluttershy and Rarity, clad in—what seemed to be—elegant Christmas dresses hurrying towards him. The former of the pair had a massive blush on her face. Tyr could tell why; The outfit Rarity had put her in was quite revealing for the demure animal lover. He held the door open for the two women as they came inside. "Oh, thank goodness you heard me, darling."

"No problem," Tyr said. He noticed Sweetie Bell come in after her sister, a bag of gifs slung over one shoulder. He took it from her. "You're welcome."

"Oh this all looks beautiful, Pinkie dear!" Rarity greeted her girlfriend with a kiss. "How long did it take you?"

"Not long at all!" Pinkie replied, grinning. "Tyr, Sherry and Luna helped a lot!"

Fluttershy sat down beside Applejack. The farm girl smiled. "And how are you doing, sugar?"

"I'm doing okay." Fluttershy squeezed her legs together, unconsciously pushing down her above the knee skirt. "This is… kinda embarrassing…"

"It looks good on you, Shy." AJ planted a gentle kiss on the shy girl's forehead, which seemed to calm her.

"Are we missing anyone?" Twilight asked.

"I invited my sister, although she said she would be late," Luna pointed out.

The doorbell rang once more. "That may be her," Tyr offered. He went over to the door and opened it for what seemed like the millionth time, only to nearly be bowled over by a short girl with long, wild black hair. An ivory grin split her face as she hugged him tightly around the waist.

"Big brother, I missed you so much!" The girl cried, giggling. Everyone in the house froze.

"Big brother?" Rarity repeated, eyes darting from Tyr to the newcomer. Her skin was a shade lighter than his, but the resemblance was impossible to deny. As she was pondering this, two more people entered, a woman Tyr's height with bleach white hair and sky blue eyes, and a shorter one with reddish brown hair and dark gold eyes. Tyr's mouth dropped upon seeing them.

"Who are they, Tyr?" Twilight asked. She had never seen a reaction like that from the normally calm man.

"Everyone," He said, a smile growing on his face. "Meet my sisters, Nanna, Freyja, and Sif."

"You have sisters?" Pinkie squealed. "Oh, I always thought you were an only child, I mean you live alone and you never ever said you had sisters!"

"So my little brother hasn't told anyone about us?" The tallest said with a soft chuckle. She adjusted the glasses she was wearing. "He never told us he had so many friends either."

"I can never get a hold of you, Nanna," Tyr pointed out.

"I suppose that is fair. Sif has missed you though."

Tyr gently ruffled the hair of the girl still clinging to him. "I can tell."

"Lot of girls here," The other girl, Freyja noticed. "Still have terrible luck with women, huh Tyr? Constant friend-zone much?"

"I actually have a girlfriend, thank you very much."

Nanna and Freyja looked surprised. "You do? Which one?"

"That would be me," Luna said, coming over to stand beside Tyr. Freyja and Nanna looked confused, then shocked, and then Nanna grinned widely.

"Called it," She said with a laugh.

Freyja mumbled some choice words under her breath as she reached into her purse to get a five dollar bill. She handed it to Nanna. "Here, take it."

"You guys bet on me?" Tyr asked.

"We bet on everything," Nanna corrected. "I just gave her this five dollar bill when we bet if you would be the one to open the door."

"Same old Nanna."

"Of course! So, introduce us!"

Obliging to his older sister, Tyr ran the gamut of introducing his friends to his family. Luckily, it seemed like they meshed together quite well. Sif joined the Crusaders almost immediately, while Freyja and Rarity seemed to enjoy the same fashions. Nanna and Twilight ended up in a serious scientific discussion that alienated everyone else. For a Christmas party, Tyr had to admit it was lively. "It's… so warm here," Chrysalis murmured when Tyr ended up next to her. She had stayed in her seat at the counter, not moving since everyone had started arriving.

"Is it uncomfortable?" Tyr spotted Freyja and Nanna interrogating Luna. He hoped his midnight princess would be alright.

"Not particularly." Chrysalis looked away from him.

"Why don't you come over? I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."

Chrysalis laughed dryly. "They still do not trust me, Tyr. How in the world would I be welcome?"

"You won't know unless you try."

She looked at him closely. She could sense no malcontent in his voice or expression. She sighed, but a small smile crossed her face. She leaned up against him. "I will… content myself to this for now. If you are so adamant to me gaining friends… I will start with you."

Tyr couldn't help but smile. "Fair enough."

"Don't tell me you're two timing," Nanna teased.

"Hell no," Tyr growled. "Chrysalis is my friend."

"I doubt Tyr could do it," Dash said with a smirk. "He loves Luna."

"Okay, okay, I'm just teasing." Nanna sighed. "It was so much easier when there were less people to cover for you."

"I do have a lot of friends," Tyr admitted.

"I'm still shocked my blunt brother of mine got such a pretty girlfriend," Freyja said, sizing up Luna. "And a former Princess, no less. What attracted you to him?"

"Tyr is quite handsome," Rarity said.

"And really super nice!" Pinkie added.

"Strong as a full grown bull too," AJ said.

"It was his personality," Luna said quietly. All eyes went to her. "When I was truly in danger, he came to save me. I was the only thing on his mind, and I could see it. I… am not ashamed to say I fell in love with him at that moment."

There was silence for a long minute. Luna stood up, went over to Tyr without a word, and kissed him on the lips. She broke away a moment later, soft blush on her cheeks and a smile on her lips. "You are the man I gave my heart to, and I love you."

Tyr chuckled. "You sure know how to make a man's heart flutter, don't you princess?"

"Well, there's no teasing that," Nanna said, disappointed.

"The table is all set up, Dad!" Sherry called from the dining room.

"Dad?" Freyja questioned. Tyr simply chuckled.

"There's a lot I have to tell you guys…"

-x-

"Of course Tyr would get involved like that," Freyja said with a roll of her eyes. "It was always his nature to protect people."

Dash and Fluttershy had just finished recounting the incident at the supermarket where Tyr had jumped to their rescue. Everyone was scattered around the living room, the couples sitting together. Or in Tyr and Luna's case, the latter in the former's lap. "It was the only thing I could think to do."

"That's our brother for you," Nanna said, chuckling. "He was always quick to rush to someone's aid. He used to protect Freyja from bullies in school."

"Nanna!" Freyja exclaimed, blushing. "You don't have to tell them all that!"

"Oh? I thought you were always asking big brother Tyr to walk you to school."

"Stop it…"

"It is nothing to be ashamed of," Luna said. "I too looked up to my older sibling quite a bit. I still do, truly."

"You have an older sibling?" Freyja asked.

"An older sister. She was supposed to come this evening…"

"Sorry I'm late." Celestia entered, followed by Flash Sentry, Shining Armor, and Cadance. "I had to pick up our dear niece and nephew-in-law."

"Hope we're not too late," Cadance said, a little out of breath. They must have really been hurrying, Tyr figured.

"Ah, Miss Celestia," Nanna said in greeting.

"Oh, hello Nanna." Celestia smiled. "It has been some time, hasn't it?"

"You two already know each other?" Tyr asked, incredulous.

"I was Dr. Mortis's… guinea pig, I believe?"

Nanna chuckled. "Still using that nickname, hm? I was only checking your physiology."

"Wow," AJ murmured. "Small world, ain't it?"

"Quite true," Fluttershy agreed softly.

"So what are you doing here, Flash?" Tyr asked. He didn't mind, as Flash was one of the few male friends he could say he had, since they worked together. The blue haired young man was easily approachable and very friendly.

"Who doesn't want to spend the holidays with the ones they love?" Flash joked, taking a seat beside Twilight. She smiled softly and leaned up against him.

"No. Way." Rarity gasped. "You and Flash Sentry…!"

"Did not see that coming," Dash murmured.

"I told you I had a boyfriend," Twilight said with a small giggle.

With the four new additions, the party became even livelier. Sometime along the way, the Crusaders had retreated upstairs to the game room. "Kids will be kids," Tyr chuckled. As he was watching Dash tease Applejack and Fluttershy, making the shy girl blush as red as a tomato, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Chrysalis had gotten up from her chair apart from everyone and slowly went upstairs. Celestia noticed as well.

"Is everything all right with her?"

"We probably didn't make her feel too welcome," Fluttershy offered.

"Were we supposed to?" Dash deadpanned.

"We were supposed to be at least somewhat accommodating," Rarity said, a bit harshly. "I saw all those glares you were shooting at her."

"What? I said I didn't trust her, and I don't trust her." She glanced over at Cadance. "Back me up here."

Tyr tapped Luna gently on the leg. "Let me up, princess."

She did, and Tyr stood. "Are you going up to check her?" Cadance asked warily.

"That's my job, isn't it?" Tyr smiled and headed upstairs. He almost ran into Chrysalis at the top, a few steps away from her room. "Chrysalis. There you are—"

"So I'm just a job to you, am I?" Her voice was cold, and she didn't look him in the eye.

Tyr blinked. He hadn't expected this. "Chrysalis, what are you talking about?"

"I heard what you said to them. I apologize for taking you away from your _friends_." She turned away from him, almost hitting him in the face with her hair. He was momentarily at a loss for words as she began to walk away. Before he could form any coherent thought, he had reached out to grab her. "What is it now!?"

"One of my friends is currently walking away from me, upset," Tyr said after a moment of thought. "I'd like to know what is bothering her."

"You think that I am just something you have to take care of so Celestia will see you in a good light. No one trusts me, and I am no one's friend!"

"You are mine."

The quiet sincerity that Chrysalis heard in his voice made her turn slightly. "…Do you really mean that? You are not simply saying—"

"When I told Cadance and Celestia to leave you in my care, I was fully prepared to become your friend. I mean it when I say you aren't just a job to me. You truly are my friend."

Chrysalis turned to him. "…You truly are kind hearted. Why someone would be my friend is beyond me."

"And why do you say that?"

"I'm ugly. My hair is a mess, my skin is rough, and I'm thin and gangly."

"I don't see that. Yeah, your hair is a mess, but you haven't done anything with it while you've been here. Your skin is rough for the same reason. Yes, you are thin, but it's attractive. It's not ugly."

"But what am I supposed to do with my hair and tail? What am I supposed to do about that?."

Tyr thought for a moment. "I think I know who can fix that. And who would probably enjoy every second of it."

"A m-m-m-make over!?" Rarity stammered. "For Chrysalis!?"

Tyr held the silent Chrysalis from running away. "Yeah. Chrysalis said she wanted her hair and tail to look as good as yours."

Chrysalis's eyes snapped over to him. "I never said that!" She hissed, just loud enough for him to hear.

Tyr smiled and continued. "She was also wondering how you kept your skin so smooth."

"I never—"

"Oh darling!" Rarity giggled. Of _course_ I would love to help her! I mean, since you asked me so nicely, after all!"

"Oh great, Tyr has found Rarity's weakness," Dash sighed. "Flattery."

"Well, I can't do anything with it right now," Rarity murmured, looking her over. Chrysalis seemed to shy away from the attention. "You will have to bring her by the boutique one day, Tyr."

"I can do that," Tyr replied.

"…Thank you," Chrysalis murmured ever so softly. Rarity blinked, completely off guard.

"Uh… you're welcome, darling."

"Wow," Pinkie said. "You made Rare-bear speechless, Chrissy!"

"Chrissy?" Chrysalis looked confused.

"Yeah, that's my nickname for you!" Pinkie giggled. "Chrysalis sounds so scary anyway."

"Chrissy…? That just sounds so… feminine."

"Is that bad, darling?" Rarity asked.

"We could just call her Chris, and cut out the middleman," AJ offered.

Chrysalis looked to Tyr for help. He grinned. "Nicknames are normal… between friends." He said. "Whatever you want us to call you is fine by us."

She seemed thoughtful for a moment. "…Call me Chrys then."

"Of course she picks the masculine name," Rarity scoffed.

"I think it fits her," Fluttershy offered.

"Well, at least we know she's a she, and not a he," Flash said with a chuckle.

Tyr sat back down, Luna resuming her spot in his lap. The newly christened Chris seemed a bit at a loss as to where to sit. "Over here," Tyr said, patting the seat beside him. Chris blushed ever so slightly and took the offered seat.

"Nice to see everything is working out alright," Cadance said carefully. It was obvious she was still wary of Chris, but was at least giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"It is quite comfortable having Chrysalis… Chrys here with us," Luna said. She smiled over at the changeling. "She and Sherry have been getting along quite well, actually."

"I can imagine," Celestia said with a small chuckle. "I imagine it's like having an older sister for her?"

"Maybe…" Chris grumbled. Tyr nudged her in the side. "What?"

"You can't have that sour demeanor all the time," He said.

"But I…"

"Come on!" Pinkie cried. "It's Christmas! We should be having fun!"

"Oh dear," Twilight said. "Going by Pinkie's idea of fun…"

-x-

It was almost midnight before people realized they needed to leave. Twilight was right, Tyr thought to himself, pulling himself free of the sleeping Chrys. Pinkie had dragged their new friend all over the house, making sure she was involved in everything. To Tyr's surprise, it was the first time he had seen the changeling smile other than when she was with him. Pinkie just had that effect on people. The gifts had been torn open sometime long ago, and he had somehow come into possession of a new scarf that Rarity had made. He was feeling like someone had spike the punch. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was Dash," He muttered. Speaking of the rainbow haired girl, she had apparently disappeared. Applejack on the other hand, was asleep in Fluttershy's lap. For once, the shy girl had a blush on her cheeks that wasn't embarrassment. Well, having her current girlfriend asleep on her probably didn't help.

"Hello Tyr," She mumbled, a little slurred. Guess whatever was in the punch was strong enough to get even Fluttershy tipsy.

"Dash spiked the punch, didn't she?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I think… Pinkie did."

Tyr felt his headache grow. "Damn… did the kids drink any?"

"I made sure they didn't."

"Thanks, Fluttershy."

She nodded, and went back to trying to wake AJ. Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flash had somehow slipped out without anyone noticing. Celestia was gone as well, an apology note left on the counter the only evidence she had been there. –Sorry, but I had a mind to make the party a little more fun, it read. "Some Princess," Tyr muttered.

Through a long drawn out process, Tyr managed to get everyone out of the house. Thanks to some miracle, Big Mac had somehow remained sober enough to take his sisters and their friends home. Because of Pinkie's design or some higher power's interference, the house was hardly ruined after all the fun they had. Tyr carried the sleeping Chrys upstairs, to her room, and tucked her in. He retrieved a likewise unconscious Sherry from the game room and put her to bed. That being finished…

"Tyr."

Tyr paused just short of closing Sherry's door. He looked up to find Luna, clad in only her underwear and one of his t-shirts in the doorway to his—no their—room. She was leaned against the doorframe, a sultry look in her eyes. Tyr felt most of the blood in his body rush below the waist as his eyes wandered over her. There goes any logical thought. "…Yes, princess?" He managed to choke out.

She didn't say a word at first, instead beckoning to him with one finger. "Are you coming to bed? You must be tired and want your rest." She purred. Tyr wasn't sure if it was the spiked punch, the lack of blood going to his brain, or his natural instincts kicking in, but sleep was going to have to wait.

Hell, grandad always said it. "I'll sleep when I'm dead."


	14. Chapter 13: Social Obligations

Chapter 13: Social Obligations

"I haven't had a hangover in years," Tyr grumbled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. His head was throbbing ever so slightly, and he could vaguely remember a morning haired woman he had a specific reason to curse. Thanks to such a successful Christmas Party, Pinkie had planned a New Year's party as well. Somehow, no one caught Celestia spiking the punch a _second time_. Lucky for Tyr, he managed to keep Luna sober so whatever happened Christmas night didn't happen again.

"You seem like you slept rough," Freyja said. She and Tyr's other two siblings had stayed the night. Seems like Freyja hadn't drunk any of the punch.

"Sorta. Where's Nanna?"

"Here I am!" Nanna came downstairs, yawning widely. She was followed by a yawning Rainbow Dash. "What a party, huh?"

Tyr frowned, his still tipsy brain was slowly connecting the dots. "Wait. You two… Nanna, did you…?"

Nanna shrugged. "What can I say? Rainbow hair is attractive. Plus, we hit it off after the Christmas Party."

"You never said your sister was on my team," Dash said with a smirk.

"Well, considering how I first found out, I have a good reason." Tyr sighed.

Dash frowned as Tyr passed her a cup of coffee. "What happened?"

"Nanna slept with his prom date," Freyja said. "Tyr walked in on them."

"Jeez. That sounds rough."

"Well, it was pretty tender for a while," Nanna admitted. "Tyr stopped talking to me for a long time."

"Two years," Tyr murmured, sliding a cup of coffee to his older sister. "But I forgive you."

Nanna blinked. "You… you do?"

"Yeah. No point in holding a grudge like that, huh?"

Nanna smiled softly, then sighed. She slipped a five dollar bill to Freyja, who took it triumphantly. "Ha!"

Tyr face palmed. "You two sometimes…"

"So, big brother," Freyja said suddenly. "When's the last time you killed someone?"

There was a short bit of silence. "What?" Dash murmured.

Tyr frowned at his younger sister. "Such tact. I haven't killed anyone since I left S.W.A.T."

"You actually killed people?" Dash looked incredulous. "Wow."

"I was a sniper," Tyr said. "And killing people isn't something I like talking about."

"Morning dad," Sherry said, coming down the stairs. Sif was behind her, yawning widely.

"Hello dear," Tyr said, taking the hug from his daughter. "Sleep well?"

"We fell asleep playing," She said. "Did you put me in bed?"

"Yes, I did."

"Speaking of put in bed," Nanna said suddenly. "Where's that princess of yours?"

"She's getting dressed. "

"So… is she able to walk?" Dash asked, picking up on the teasing.

"She's fine," Tyr said flatly, thankful that the younger girls weren't able to follow the conversation.

"You sure? Sounded like you guys were busy."

"Dash, I swear…"

"I mean, did you guys misplace your pillows or something? Cause…"

Chrys came downstairs only to see Tyr attempting to strangle Dash while Nanna and Freyja laughed loudly. "…Perhaps I should go back to sleep," She mumbled to herself.

-x-

"They really said that?" Luna asked as she got off of Tyr's bike. They had pulled up in front of a large conference hall where Celestia was going to be speaking as an advocate of Equestrians everywhere. Celestia had become the Face of Equestria in the past month, so it wasn't altogether uncommon for her to do public speaking events like this. Tyr flashed his I.D. as he passed the door guards, letting them know he was supposed to be there. He was armed again, although he doubted he would be needed. The number of guards was impressive.

"Yeah, Nanna and Dash were tag teaming before you came down."

"So… about the whole sniper thing…"

"It was a job," Tyr said flatly. "And I prefer not to shoot people if I don't have to."

"…Understandable."

Ace, Flash and Night met him at the door to a side hall. "Bout time you showed up," Ace said with a grin.

"My sisters spent the night. Too bad you weren't at the party."

"Hey, I got family too."

A secretary in a business outfit came over. "Miss Luna? You're wanted on the stage."

"I believe I must go," Luna sighed. "Be safe, love."

"I would tell you to do the same, but that's why I'm here," Tyr replied with a smirk.

She kissed him gently on the cheek before following the secretary. Flash whistled, watching Luna go. "Well, she is a beauty, isn't she?"

"Aren't you taken?" Night asked.

"What? I can't compliment my friend's girl?"

"All within reason," Ace said with a small chuckle. "Come on, we at least have to make sure we're watching."

The four men went out into the conference hall. It was full of reporters and other well-known faces littered the crowd. Celestia and Luna were on the stage, along with the governor of the county and mayor of the town. "Big names up there," Tyr murmured.

"Don't get star struck on us," Flash warned.

"I've seen worse," Tyr joked.

"Can it guys, we're actually at work here?" Ace said, rolling his eyes. He handed Tyr an earpiece. "You're near the double doors. Keep in touch."

Tyr slipped the device into his ear as he moved to his position. The spot offered a wide range of view, and he had a good view of the stage as well. The large meeting hall was lined with pillars, and rectangular tables were lined up along the sides, bearing refreshments and drinks. The little smile that Luna gave him let him know she could see him. "Jeez, these bigwigs have some muscle watching them," He heard Ace's voice mutter through the earpiece.

"Rich people like to be safe," Flash said sagely.

"Funny we only have four guards watching our Princesses," Night murmured.

"Hey, Lady Celestia said she doesn't think she needs such a large contingent of guards," Ace said. "We follow her orders."

"But four is such a low number…"

"Well, there's plenty of other guards around here to compensate," Flash said.

Tyr was hardly listening to Ace and Night bicker about the princess's safety. He had fallen into 'work mode', and was busy analyzing each face in the crowd. Didn't seem to be much to worry about at the moment, so he leaned against the wall as Celestia got up to address the crowd. Guess he might as well get comfortable. Celestia was explaining the situation of the Equestrians, pointing out the hardships that many of them had to go through to acclimate to the world they now lived in. She also was planning to accept questions. Tyr was half listening, half resisting the urge to check his phone.

"Movement." Ace said, catching his attention. He quickly scanned around, spotting the man in question. He was moving quickly, and Tyr locked him in his sights. Then the man paused beside someone else before sitting down.

"No joy," He said quietly, using the slang for no target. "Jumpy, Ace?"

"Not particularly. I'd just rather not have any surprises."

"I feel you on that," Flash muttered.

As the presentation hit a question and answer period, Tyr felt a strange sensation. As a well-dressed man stood up to ask a question, the mark on his back began to burn sharply. The thought came almost as if someone had whispered into his ear.

Luna is in danger.

"Movement, all around!" Night hissed, and Tyr realized that a simple guard job was about to become a lot more complicated. A single gunshot rang out, and suddenly the room was in chaos. People were jumping up, rushing for the nearest door, and screaming in fright. Suddenly buffeted by the startled crowd trying to escape, Tyr couldn't immediately see the shooter. The crowd parted slightly, and he could spot the gunman, leveling his weapon at the stage.

"The Scarecrows send their regards," He snarled, aiming at Celestia. The tall woman was so caught off guard that she still hadn't moved. She was staring at the gunman with a mixture of shock and confusion. The short barreled revolver in the man's hand cycled chambers.

"Princess!" Ace cried, rushing the stage. Night came in from the alternate side, bee lining towards Luna. Flash was moving towards the gunman, drawing his own weapon as he fought through the crowd. None of them would be quick enough.

Another shot. Luna felt her stomach lurch. "Sister!" She cried, but it wasn't Celestia who had been hit. The gunman's wrist had almost literally exploded, Tyr's single shot taking his hand off with terrifying precision. "By the night," She whispered in shock as the man screamed in agony. Night barreled into her then, pushing her to the ground. Ace dragged Celestia to safety, as several more men with pistols emerged from the crowd.

Tyr ducked behind a pillar as the first few shots pinged around him. Glancing over, he spotted Ace and Night ushering the princesses to safety. Good, he thought to himself. He was glad he had lined up that disarming shot when he did. "Six shooters," He murmured.

"They're spread out," Flash grunted, taking cover himself. He popped out for a moment, firing a few shots that convinced their opponents to take cover.

The door behind Tyr burst open suddenly. He whirled, finding himself face to face with the barrel of a pistol. He tossed himself down, firing up at the man as bullets impacted the pillar where his head had just been. His first shot tore through the man's knee, causing him to fall. His second shot punched through his chest as he fell to the floor. "Where the hell is the rest of security!?"

"Locked out," He heard Ace said. "They've got the doors booby trapped. There're men down out here."

Tyr peeked out, only to have bullets sing past him. He slammed back against the pillar. He fired blindly around the cover, hoping to get a lucky hit. No such luck, however. His gun clinked empty, and he swiftly dropped the empty magazine to slide in a new one. As he did so, a Scarecrow leapt the table nearest to him, gun raised to fire. Tyr jumped up as quickly as he could, slamming his shoulder into the man and forcing the gun past him as it fired. Tyr clamped his hand on the man's wrist, and they struggled for control over the weapon.

"Tyr!" Flash cried out, jumping out of cover to help his friend. He was harried by fire from the other side of the hall, and he dropped down, kicking over a table for cover. "Augh! I'm pinned down here!"

"We're coming back in!" Night growled over the earpiece.

"No, protect the princesses! We'll be fine!"

Tyr heaved and flipped the Scarecrow over his shoulder. The man impacted the ground at an awkward angle, cracking his neck loudly. "Kill them already!" One of the other gunmen yelled, and Tyr felt a bullet nearly graze his neck, and a second tore his earpiece from his ear. He spun, kicking a chair to slide across the smooth floor. The chair caught a rushing Scarecrow mid run, making him stumble and become an easy target for a pair of shots from Tyr. His buddy fired back, but Tyr rolled aside, switching sides with the pillar and putting the man down with a single shot to the chest. He snatched up the fallen man's pistol as he dived back into cover.

Flash popped up, firing his own gun at the Scarecrows. He dropped one, and the rest scattered for cover while firing back a few shots themselves. One lucky shot caught Flash in the side. He grunted in surprise, falling back to the floor. "I'm hit," He said, clutching his wound.

Tyr sprinted over, dodging shots as he slid beside his friend. "I got you," He said, pulling Flash to a safer position.

"How bad is it?"

He looked at the wound, which was leaking blood. It looked worse that it was, though. "You'll live."

The Scarecrows were staying hidden again, and Tyr could see them waiting on him to make a mistake. Taking the gun he had picked up, he let the magazine drop clear. It hit the floor with a loud thud. As if on cue, the last two Scarecrows rushed him. He leapt out of cover and slammed his pistol into the throat of the leading man. As he staggered, Tyr grabbed him smoothly, turned him around, and pulled the man into the way of the shots from his partner. The Scarecrow's body absorbed the shots as Tyr put a bullet in the last man's head. He dropped his human shield as he let out a deep breath. As he was doing just that, one last shot rang out. He whirled, only to find a last Scarecrow behind him, knife in hand, with a bullet hole in his chest. He dropped dead at Tyr's feet, revealing Flash with his pistol in hand. The wounded guard grinned. "You miscounted."

Tyr slowly slipped out of combat mode. "…I did say there were only six shooters."

"Fair enough," Flash chuckled. Tyr went over and helped him up, hooking Flash's good arm over his shoulders. He supported him as they went outside. It was chaos outside still. People were still panicking, and it seemed like there had been a gunfight out here as well. Police and medical personnel had arrived, and it seemed like the situation was under some kind of control. Tyr helped Flash over to an ambulance, finding Ace already there, his shoulder bandaged.

"What happened?" Tyr asked.

"We got ambushed outside," Ace said. "I got hit almost immediately. Lucky for us, the security guards were actually on the ball and helped us. Police rolled up a little bit ago."

A medic came over to see to Flash's wound. "Tyr!" Tyr turned just as Luna ran into him, embracing him tightly. "Oh, thank goodness you are alright," She murmured into his chest.

Sometime ago, Tyr's mark had stopped burning. "I'm glad you're safe, princess."

"Night kept me safe," She said. She blushed slightly. "…Although he did overstep his bounds a bit."

"Huh?"

"It is nothing; I have reminded him of his position."

Tyr sighed and rested his head on top of hers. "Right…"

"Come on guys," Flash chuckled. "Not fair. I don't have my girlfriend here to comfort me."

"Flash!" Suddenly, Twilight appeared, rushing over. She hugged her boyfriend tightly. "I saw what was happening on the news and when they said there was shooting I came here as quick as I could because I was scared that—"

"Twi! Babe, please, let go!" Flash groaned.

"Oh no you've been shot!"

"Yes, and you're squeezing my wound!"

"Oh, sorry!" She let him go.

"Heh. It's not really all that bad." Flash seemed happy his girlfriend was fawning all over him. "Just a flesh wound, so they say."

"How cute," Tyr said, with a soft chuckle. His laughter cut short as Celestia approached. "…Celestia." He noticed Night at her side. He was pleasantly amused to see that one cheek was a light shade of red.

"Tyr." Celestia said his name with a measure of fondness. "It seems I owe you my life. If you had not disarmed that man…"

"I acted automatically," Tyr admitted. "I felt that Luna was in danger."

"Lady Celestia was the target," Night snapped.

"We were both in danger," Luna corrected. "If they had killed my sister, who would have been the next target?"

"I… well… you are right, Princess."

Celestia smiled. "Thank you for your quick action, Tyr."

"And thanks for dragging me out of there," Flash said with a grin. "Sorry for bleeding all over you."

Tyr glanced down at his shirt. It was splattered with blood. "Nah, it's fine. I can always wash the thing."

"I believe this is the end of this occasion," Celestia said with a sigh. For a moment, Tyr could have sworn she looked extremely weary. She smiled over at him. "Tyr. You will see my sister home?"

"Of course." He nodded. He glanced back at Flash.

"I'm fine," He said with a wave of his hand. "I got Twi to look after me now."

Twilight blushed. "Thanks for getting my boyfriend's idiot self out alive, Tyr."

"That's what friends are for," Tyr said. "Come on Luna. Let's get home."

"Gladly," Luna said, leaning up to kiss him.

"Tell me if they have to cut his arm off," Tyr told Twilight. All the color drained out of her face.

"You said it wasn't that bad!" She cried, turning to her boyfriend.

"It isn't! Tyr, you bastard—hey! Come back!"

Tyr grinned as he pulled Luna behind him on his bike. "See ya!"

-x-

"You were shot at? Again?" Nanna asked. They had seen what had happened on the news, but not the gunfight that had erupted inside the hall itself.

"Our brother is a bullet magnet," Freyja declared.

Sif went over and poked Tyr with a fork. "Nuh uh! Big brother isn't a magnet!"

Tyr couldn't do anything but pat his adorable sister's head. "What were they after?" Nanna asked.

"Some group called the Scarecrows were trying to kill Celestia," Tyr said. "Luna was in the crossfire, and I acted.

"Well!" Nanna smiled softly, knowing her brother was still partially in work mode. "Sif, Freyja, come on. We need to get our stuff together for the drive home."

"I wanna stay longer!" Sif whined.

"We can always visit some other time. Come on."

Sif begrudgingly followed after her older sister. Freyja lingered a moment. "Hey. Tyr."

"Yeah?" Tyr looked over at her.

"…Be careful." She blushed slightly and looked away. "We only have one brother."

Tyr smiled. "Of course."

She went upstairs, leaving Tyr and Luna alone in the kitchen. Tyr let out a deep breath and pulled off his holster, setting the pistol aside. He slid the clip out, released the bullet in the chamber, and made sure the safety was on before putting it away. "Well, getting shot at was the last thing I expected to happen today," He murmured.

"You were quite heroic," Luna said, moving over to stand beside him. She slipped her arms around his waist. "I was so scared when that man pointed a gun at my sister, but you acted so calm."

Tyr smiled and turned to face her. "To be honest, I was in work mode. When I noticed my Mark was burning…"

"Burning?"

"Like someone stuck something hot to my back. And I just kind of knew that you were in danger."

"Then it seems my hero was able to save me in time."

Tyr kissed her, pulling her even tighter into him. Her lips were always soft, and always willing to accept his affection. Her arms left his waist to wrap around his neck as he lifted her up. He was almost cradling her in his arms when they broke the kiss. "I love you, Luna."

"And I love you," Luna said, stroking his face with one hand. "Do not ever forget it."

"Of course, princess."

"And on another note… Would you please set me down?"

"Oh. Sorry." He set her down. She giggled softly.

"You should get some rest, beloved. You have had a long day."

"Will you be joining me?"

"Of course."

-x-x-

Waking up to Luna had to have been the most comforting and normal thing Tyr had in his life. Constantly seeing her every day was… just amazing. He loved every inch of her, and watching those few minutes of sleep before she woke up was one of his favorite things to do. However, something else was curled up on his other side this morning, and it wasn't Sherry.

"Chrysalis?"

Chrys stirred, eyes opening. "…I didn't want to wake you," She murmured softly.

"That's okay. How are you?"

"Mm." She sat up slowly, careful to not wake Luna. "Am I going to Rarity's today?"

"If you want."

"I would like to. I do want to get out of the house."

"Go ahead and head downstairs. We can go later."

Chrys nodded and left the room. Tyr smiled. The girl meant well, but dealing with people who didn't trust her wasn't helping. Oh well. This makeover session with Rarity might help. "Luna," He said softly, shaking his girlfriend to wake her. She yawned and sat up.

"What is it, Tyr?" She asked cutely, rubbing at her eyes.

"Well, aside from the fact that I really do love the cute way you wake up… I have to take Chrys by Rarity's today."

"Oh, that's right. Should I get dressed as well?"

"Only if you want to go with me." Tyr thought about it for a moment. "Actually… Do you want to go somewhere today? I mean, just to get our minds off of yesterday."

"Go somewhere?" Luna looked surprised.

"Yeah. Like out to a movie or something, get dinner… that sort of thing."

"Is this… a date?"

"Uh…" Tyr then realized he had never actually taken Luna out on a date. "Well… yeah."

"I… I believe I should go with you to Rarity's."

"Why?"

Luna blushed. "I think I need a new dress."

-x-

Rarity was almost as excited as Pinkie when Tyr showed up with Chrys and Luna. "Oh my! I didn't expect you to come along, Luna!"

"I had a separate request," Luna explained as Rarity let them into the boutique. It was a lot brighter inside than the last time he had come by, Tyr noticed.

"Well, anything I can do to help, darling." She went over to the bottom of the stairs. "Pinkie-winkle!" She called.

"Coming~!" A singsong voice called back, and then Pinkie came bouncing down the steps. "Oh, hi everyone!"

"Pinkie-winkle?" Tyr asked, raising an eyebrow. For once Rarity blushed.

"Can I not have a cute nickname for my ray of sunshine?" She asked.

"Aw, Rare-bear!" Pinkie embraced her girlfriend.

"Anyway…" Tyr said, hoping to get the conversation on track. "Are you ready for Chrys?"

"Well, I'm always available for a friend," Rarity said, glancing at Chrys.

Chrys lowered her gaze. "Please… Rarity."

"Oh, uh… of course dear. And what did you need, Luna?"

"Tyr and I were planning to go on a date while Chrys was here, so we—"

Rarity and Pinkie squealed with glee. It was moments like these he could see why the seamstress and the party animal were alike. "I take it you need a dress?" Rarity asked eagerly.

Luna looked taken aback. "I… yes, I do."

"Then come with me!" Rarity took Luna's arm and took her into the boutique's dressing room. Pinkie began pushing Chrys upstairs.

"I'll be dealing with you, Missy!"

"Wait, what?" Chrys looked scared for a moment. "Tyr!"

"You'll be okay, Chrys. Promise."

She still looked worried as Pinkie herded her upstairs. Rarity peeked out of the dressing room. "Tyr, darling, do you need anything?"

"Uh… I'll run home and change." Tyr didn't want to fall prey to Rarity's… elegant designs, so he quickly excused himself and ran home. He was going on a date. With Luna, Princess of the Night and the cutest girl he knew. He must have had a wide smile on his face as he got home because Sherry noticed immediately. "Something made you happy. What was it?"

"It's nothing," He said with a small laugh.

"Nuh uh! You don't usually have such a big smile on your face." She smiled. "Did something nice happen with Luna?"

"Ok fine. We're going on a date."

"Ooh! Then, where's Luna?"

"At Rarity's. She wanted a dress to wear."

"Aw, how cute. Are you going to change too?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, hurry up! Don't keep your lady waiting!"

Tyr playfully ruffled her hair before running upstairs. First, he made a quick call to the restaurant to make reservations. Then he looked over himself in the mirror. He was surprised to find himself so eager to look good for his date. So how was he supposed to do this? Not too formal, but not too casual… "Jeez, I feel like prom night all over again… minus the whole sister sleeping with my date bit."

He finally settled on a dress shirt with black slacks, but didn't get a tie or anything. He pulled out his favorite jacket and slipped it on. "Looks good. I guess. Ugh, I hope Rarity isn't overdoing it…" He headed downstairs.

"Hold on," Sherry jumped up and went over to him. She motioned for him to lean over so she could fix his collar. "Have fun, okay?"

"Don't do anything crazy while I'm gone, okay?"

"You're okay leaving me here alone?"

Tyr smiled and patted her head. "You're mature enough to handle it, right? Just call AJ or Twilight if anything happens."

"Okay!"

Tyr hopped back on his bike and drove back to Carousel Boutique. He walked inside. "Hey… I'm back!" He called out.

"Ah! Tyr! Just in time!" Rarity came out, a wide smile on your face. "Ready to see her?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Rarity, seriously."

"Okay, okay. Come on out, Luna!"

Tyr had seen a lot of surprising things in his life, but he was not prepared for this. Luna emerged from the dressing room with a lavender dress decorated with white tracings of snowflakes. It fell below her knees, and was accompanied by a white scarf with lavender streaks in it. Rarity had even done her hair, putting it into a high ponytail with only a few strands left to frame her face. Even tied up, Luna's hair was quite long, still almost falling to the middle of her back. Tyr was even sure Rarity had applied makeup. "…Wow."

"How do I look?" Luna asked, turning slowly.

"You look amazing, as usual," Tyr mumbled dumbly. Luna blushed deeply.

"Tyr!" Chrys came running back downstairs, her head wrapped up in a towel. She rushed over to her friend. "You have to help me!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Pinkie is insane!"

Pinkie came downstairs too. "Hey, I'm not insane!"

Chrys hid behind Tyr, glaring daggers as the pink girl. Rarity sighed. "Pinkie-winkle, I'll handle Chrys now. Shouldn't you be getting back to the bakery?"

"Oh, oh! You're right! I gotta go!" With a quick peck on Rarity's cheek, Pinkie rushed outside. The seamstress chuckled to herself.

"Honestly, she'd forget her own hands if I didn't remind her…"

"Chrys," Tyr said, "Rarity will be taking care of you now. Is that okay?"

"Only if she promises not to hurt me," Chrys said, shooting a glare at Rarity.

Rarity smiled. "I would never dream of it!"

Chrys seemed to think on that for a moment. She looked up at Tyr. "…You will come back, right?"

"Of course," He grinned. "I promise."

Her eyes bored into his, viridian meeting Tyr's unusual silver. "…Very well." She reluctantly went over to Rarity.

"You two enjoy your date!" Rarity called after them.

Luna blushed as Tyr simply sighed and led her outside. It was chilly, and he noticed his princess was rubbing her arms. "Cold?"

"Mm. Perhaps Rarity has a jacket that—"

Tyr had already taken off his own jacket and put it around her shoulders. "Better?"

She pulled it close around her, feeling his warmth, smelling that particular scent that only belonged to him. It brought a smile to her face. "Yes, very," She managed to say, moving closer to him.

Tyr felt as though Luna was being even cuter than usual, and it made him feel a little nervous. What am I, a high schooler? He shook his head. "Well, let's go."

They decided to go to the movies first. Tyr let Luna pick out the movie, which surprisingly turned out to be a romance drama. Guess Rarity had some influence on that. It wasn't a bad movie he had to admit, and He noticed Luna clinging to his arm during most of the tense moments. Not that he minded. When the movie ended and they left the theatre, he caught her rubbing her eyes. "Enjoy it?"

"It was… touching," Luna admitted. "I felt as though I could feel the character's feelings for his love…"

"Well, movies are supposed to make you feel a sort of way, that's why they're made."

"I see. Well, whoever made that movie made sure to do just that."

They mounted Tyr's bike and headed off. He had selected quite a nice restaurant to take his beloved Luna, and hoped she'd enjoy it. When they pulled up, she seemed surprised. "This is where we're having dinner?" She asked.

"Yes, you know this place?"

"My sister told me she had a business dinner here before," Luna said. "She had quite enjoyed herself."

"And you haven't been here?"

"No, I have not. Have you?"

"Once before." He led her inside. The outside of the place had been elegant enough, but the inside was even more impressive. Luna couldn't help but look around in awe. Tyr went over to the hostess.

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" She asked curtly.

"I do," Tyr said. "It's under Hymir," Tyr said. The hostess searched for a minute; face lighting up as she found the name.

"Ah, here you are. Follow me, Mr. Hymir."

She showed them to their table, a two seater in a dimmer lit portion of the restaurant. The section they sat in was illuminated by candles, and it was simply a beautiful spot. "This is… so beautiful, Tyr," Luna murmured, looking around. "How did you find out about this place?"

"I know a lot of people," Tyr said with a smile. "So I take it you like it?"

"Like it? I love it." She smiled at him. "I'm truly amazed you'd go so far for me."

"You are my princess, after all."

Their server came over then. "May I take your orders?"

"Tea and Shrimp alfredo, if you please," Tyr said. He knew Equestrians didn't eat meat, but fish was an exception. At least it didn't bother them. Luna ordered a salad to start, and then after a moment of thought, ordered the same thing as Tyr. He raised an eyebrow as their waiter left. Luna blushed a little.

"I have never had it before," she explained sheepishly. "Fish was… a rarity in Equestria, although it was not taboo to eat it. Is it good?"

"Well, I at least know a few fish are pretty good if prepared correctly," Tyr offered. "But that's true of all food, right?"

"I suppose you are correct."

They lapsed into silence for a short while. Tyr felt himself tapping his foot. He was at a loss for what to say. Finally, Luna spoke up again. "...I'm sorry."

"Hm? For what?"

"For being terrible company." Luna lowered her gaze, fiddling with her napkin. "I have never been on a date, and I'm horrid at small talk, and I cannot think of anything to say." She blushed heavily.

Tyr smiled. She had felt as nervous as him. "Well, how about this; ask me anything you want to know about me."

Luna looked up at him, surprised. "Anything?"

He nodded. "If there's something I'm not comfortable talking about, I'll tell you. But if there's anything you want to know…"

"Hm…" Luna thought for a long minute. Their waiter returned with a few rolls and their tea. Tyr bit into one roll just as Luna figured out her first question. "…How many people have you killed?"

He had been expecting it, to be sure. After his display yesterday, it was obvious that this topic would come up. He swallowed slowly. "You sure you want to know?"

"Yes. I want to know."

"Very well," Tyr sighed. "At last count and not counting the men who I shot yesterday… forty-three."

Her eyes widened, as he knew they would. "…You've truly killed that many people?"

"Mmhm," Tyr said, taking a sip of his tea. It was a bit hot, but it tasted alright. "I was a sniper. If I was lucky, I never had to fire my gun at all. But there were times were I was forced to make decisions in an instant, and the lives of my teammates relied on me making the right decision."

"But… If you were a sniper, how do you know how to fight so well?" Luna looked confused. "I thought snipers were supposed to shoot from far away."

Call of Duty knowledge, Tyr realized with a chuckle. "I trained in close quarters combat in order to prevent someone from getting the upper hand on me if they got within arm's length. And there were times after I left the force that I needed those skills."

"Needed them?"

"…This town wasn't always quiet," Tyr said. "There used to be more gangs around."

"I see…"

"…Do you still think I'm a kind person?"

"Yes."

The answer was instantaneous and sincere, Luna's blue eyes boring into his. "You do? Even when you know I have blood on my hands?"

"Killing is never acceptable," Luna said, looking down at her napkin again. She paused a moment to retrieve a roll and cut into it. "Yet in some cases it is necessary. Do you regret killing them?"

"I wish I never had to kill them," Tyr replied honestly.

"You kill in order to protect others," Luna said, slowly buttering half of her roll. Tyr was slightly amused to see she used a lot of butter. "And that is something I can understand. And Tyr… I know how you feel. Everyone has things in their past they are ashamed of, I myself included."

Tyr wondered for a moment what she meant, but decided against asking. Their waiter returned with their food, and they broke off the conversation momentarily. "This looks quite delicious," Luna said, eyeing the dish with eagerness. Tyr smiled as she began to eat, watching her enjoyment sparkle in her eyes. "I love you," He said suddenly, as surprised by his own admittance as Luna was.

She stared at him in shock for a long moment before a small blush and smile crossed her face. "…I love you too, Tyr."

Tyr began to eat as well, and the two of them lapsed into silence while they ate, stealing little glances at each other as they did. It was a long time before either of them spoke, and it was Luna who took the initiative again. "…Your last name is Hymir?" She asked.

"Yeah. Tyr Hymir. It's an old Norse name meaning 'darkness' or 'twilight'."

"It has a nice flow to it."

"Well, I would hope so," Tyr said with a smile. Luna frowned at him. "What's the matter?"

"You have something on your face…" She picked up her napkin and reached out to wipe his face. He was so shocked at the familiarity of the act that he didn't resist as she gently stroked the side of his mouth. "…There."

"Um… thanks."

She giggled softly. "We should finish eating."

"Ah, right." He dug back in, savoring each bite as he did. Before long, both of their plates were empty, the waitress had brought by the check, and they were out of the restaurant. It was late in the evening, and snow was lightly falling. A perfect ending to a good day, Tyr thought. Luna again clung to his arm as they walked out.

"It is a truly beautiful night," Luna murmured.

"True enough, and I have the moon on my arm to enjoy it with me," Tyr teased.

Luna blushed, yet smiled. "You are such a wonderful man, Tyr. I am glad I fell in love with you. You make every moment so wonderful."

"I do my best," Tyr said honestly. "Having you around has brightened both my days… and my nights."

Luna blushed, causing Tyr to laugh. "D-do not laugh at me! You horrid man, teasing a proper lady!"

"Oh, a proper lady, hm? I refer you to the first night we spent together."

Luna blushed so deeply that Tyr thought for a moment she had turned completely red. "I am still embarrassed about that!" She squeaked into his arm.

"I figured as much." He laughed triumphantly.

"Actually…" Luna pulled her face away for a moment. "Tyr… after the Christmas party… do you remember what happened that night?"

Tyr froze. He had a vague idea of what happened. "I believe… we had sex."

Luna blushed even deeper. "…I should stay away from alcohol."

"…We both should. I rather prefer remembering the time I spend with my girlfriend."

"I can agree with that."

Tyr glanced at his watch. It was almost ten. "Jeez, it's this late?"

"We should get home, should we not?"

"Right." Tyr got onto his bike, Luna getting on behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She rested her head against his back, and they drove off. It was a quiet drive home, and once they got there Tyr was surprised to find his lover asleep against him. He smiled, lifted her onto his back, and carried her inside. As he laid her in bed, he remembered he had to go get Chrysalis. "Guess I got a lot of riding to do."

He rode over to the boutique, which he found still open. He went inside. "Hello…?"

No one answered immediately. He moved further inside, and then he heard voices. "Pinkie-winkle, stop that."

"But you like it, don't you Rare-bear?"

"Well, I can't argue with that, but…"

"Then let me do it!"

Tyr cleared his throat as loud as he could. He was rewarded with a gasp, a thud, and then the sound of rushing footsteps. A moment later, a disheveled Rarity was before him. "Tyr! Darling, what are you doing here?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I came for Chrysalis. Luna and I were out a lot later than I thought."

"Chrysalis…? Darling, she thought you would be extremely late and said she would walk home. She wasn't there?"

Tyr felt his blood run cold. Chrys hadn't trusted him to get back that early? "…You didn't stop her?"

"I tried darling, but… Pinkie distracted me, and she must have slipped out." Rarity blinked. "Wait… you mean Chrysalis wasn't at your home?"

"Chrys hasn't been outside of my house since I found her on my doorstep," Tyr said harshly. "She doesn't know the way to my house!"

"Tyr…!" Tyr hadn't realized he had grown towards a yell until he saw the look on Rarity's face. He blinked a few times, backing up.

"…Sorry," He mumbled.

"No… I… I quite understand. I should have convinced her to wait, or… or something."

"She still doesn't trust us," Tyr murmured sadly. Then, he realized something. "Well. If she won't trust us, I'll make her trust me."

"What?"

"I'm going to go find her."

He made for the door, but Rarity stopped him. "Hold a moment, darling."

"What is it?" He turned back around to find a fur lined coat being offered to him. "Rarity… I couldn't."

"Take it! Find Chrys and make sure she's safe. I don't want you freezing out there yourself."

She had used Chrysalis's new nickname, he noticed. Tyr took the offered coat and put it on. It was extremely warm, as if he was wearing a personal heater. "Thanks Rarity. I'll text you when I find her!"

He rushed out into the cold. He could feel every part of his body protest at the sudden exposure to the elements, but the jacket Rarity lent him insulated him well. There was no indication of which way she had gone, since a new layer of snow had likely set in by now. Even in March, this area was still feeling the grip of winter. Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, he drove off into the snow.


	15. Chapter 14: What it Means to be Loved

Chapter 14: What it Means to Be Loved

Chrysalis pushed her way into the bar. She drew several stares as she walked in, for a girl with such an impressive appearance would never go unnoticed. Her vibrant hair was curled and fell about her shoulders while also covering one eye. Her tail was braided, and her dark skin was smooth and full. Rarity had done a good job, she had to admit. But even with that, she couldn't force away the aching in her heart.

Tyr had forgotten about her.

Not that she could truly blame him, however. He was in love with Luna. A beautiful Princess of the Night. While Chrysalis had nothing. She was queen of nothing. Tyr had spent all of the day with her, and all Chrysalis had gotten was a good morning hug.

Well, she had gotten the opportunity to cuddle with him.

She shook her head as she sat at the bar. "Can I have a glass of water, please?" She asked as sweetly as she could. The bartender simply nodded and got a glass. He filled it with water and set it in front of her. "Thank you."

She sat for a moment, sipping at her water. It was one of the few things she could ingest and not have it upset her stomach. Well, besides another fluid of a bodily kind. She sighed. Of course she could only think of sex at a time like this. There was a hole in her heart—and her stomach—that needed to be filled. She hadn't had a craving like this for a while, ever since she started living with Tyr. The man had been good to her, she thought. He never refused her any affection if she asked, and never seemed surprised when she tried her hardest to be close to him. He had truly… cared? If he had cared, then why hadn't he come to get her?

You idiot, he probably had gone by Rarity's after his date to get you. And you left.

Oh well, she thought with a sigh, he probably just went home to sleep with Luna anyway.

Sex does sound nice right about now. Would probably fill up her stomach more than the emotions swirling around—hello, there was some lust. Directed at her. She glanced around to find a trio of young men watching her from across the bar. Smiling seductively, she swished her tail back and forth to attract attention to her rear end. She could feel their desire for her rise, and her smile grew. Seems she hasn't lost her charm. She turned back to the bar as one of them approached. He slid into the seat beside her. "Yo, bartender, whisky."

As the bartender whipped up the man's drink, Chrysalis turned slightly to look at him. "Strong drink," She said, batting her eyes at him.

"Strong man," he replied smoothly. "What's your name?"

"Chrissy," Chrysalis said, just as easily. "Yours?"

"Ben. Nice to meet you, Chrissy. Judging by that tail of yours, you're Equestrian, right?"

"Yes I am. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. Any girl that likes to have fun is alright with me."

"And your friends? I'd feel really bad about leaving them out of it."

Ben blinked. He glanced back at his two friends. "…wow. You really must like to have fun."

"Let's just say it's been a while since I've really… cut loose." Honestly! It has almost been a couple months since she last snagged a guy. Well, at least she hadn't lost her charm, although Ben and his friends being drunk probably helped. She glanced around. "Unless you plan to have fun in this bar…"

Ben smiled knowingly. "We got a place."

-x-

The 'place' that Ben had in mind was a hotel. He had introduced his friends as Jerome and Tony, and they had been pretty excited when Ben told them she wanted to hang with all three of them.

Poor boys. Probably not every day a catch like Chrysalis falls into their lap.

They had spent a large portion of the walk over talking about their college life, how pretty they thought she was, et cetera, et cetera. She had tuned out for the most part, only answering with mild disinterest and yes's and no's. They were in the elevator when Tony finally asked the question she had been dreading.

"So, Chrissy," He said, touching her shoulder. "Why were you all alone in that bar?"

Chrysalis frowned. "I was… waiting for someone."

"A guy?"

"…Yeah. He never showed."

"What a waste! He left a pretty girl like you waiting!"

"Can't believe someone would stand you up," Jerome agreed.

The sympathies were hollow and made Chrysalis's stomach heart. Or was that her heart? She hadn't technically gotten stood up. Tyr had promised to come get her after his date with Luna. She had been the one to leave and not tell him. "He went out with another girl," Chrysalis said quietly.

"What!?"

"That bastard!"

"How could he?"

It made her feel a little better, hearing the guys she was with stick up for her. But it also made her feel bad. Tyr wasn't hers, not by a long shot. His only obligation was to watch over her and feed her. In fact, she probably had hurt him by running off.

But at the same time, what if he was happy?

The dark thought came to her as the boys led her into their hotel room. It was actually pretty nice, and they offered her the use of the bathroom. Could Tyr really have enjoyed keeping her around? Maybe he had only tolerated her out of the kindness of his heart. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, hoping the warm water would wash away the thoughts stuck to her. Unfortunately, they wouldn't go away that easily.

Tyr had been her friend.

Or, as close to a friend as Chrysalis had ever had. She hadn't had many friends, being the Queen of a collective consciousness and all. But Tyr had at least _said_ he was her friend… But he hadn't come back to get her.

Tyr had left her behind to go with his actual lover.

Was that all she wanted? To be his lover? She leaned against the wall, water running down her chest. Did she want Tyr for herself? No, she just wanted his affection, his care, his…

Friendship.

She shook her head, frowning a little bit as water got into her hair. She turned the water off, dried off, and put her clothes back on. There was no point in mulling over it now. Tyr belonged to Luna, not her, and she was nothing more than a Changeling. An emotion eater. A lifetime of draining men with sex suited her just fine. "I'm ready boys," She heard herself purr as she left the bathroom. The three boys stood at attention as she came out. She giggled softly and sat on the bed beside Jerome. "So… who's going first?"

Now that started an argument. Chrysalis was content to watch them for a bit before she intervened. "Oh come now boys, calm down. I believe I can handle all three of you."

They stared at her in shock for a short minute before almost pouncing on her. Hands, mouths and… other appendages rub her all over, one pair of lips pressing to hers while a pair of hands squeezed at her average sized bust. "Ooh, not too rough…"

Her blouse was quickly stripped off, as was her skirt. Probably shouldn't have bothered putting them back on, huh? "Chrissy, baby, you're so hot," Ben moaned in her ear as he caressed her inner thigh. They were all undressing suddenly, and before she could say anything, her underwear was gone as well. She tried to encourage them, get them to do more but the only thing that came to mind was Tyr. His smiling face as he told her good morning or that pleasant feeling in her heart whenever he stroked her hair or patted her head. The feeling of… comfort whenever he was with him and Sherry and Luna. How they made her feel welcome. What she was doing right now suddenly made her sick to her stomach.

She couldn't do this. It would hurt him. Hell, it was going to hurt her.

"No," she mumbled weakly, grabbing Jerome's hair as he moved his head down between her legs. He took it as invitation to continue and dived in, although his technique was clumsy and all Chrysalis felt was irritation. She channeled that frustration into her voice. "No!" She shouted, pushing them off. The three of them looked at her in confusion as she sat up.

"Something wrong, baby?" Tony asked. She hated that. Hated when men figured sex suddenly made the woman their 'baby'.

"First off, my name is Chrissy, not 'baby'. Second of all, I can't do this."

"Can't do what?" Ben looked confused. "Was it hurting you? Did it not feel good?"

"…No, it didn't." she stood up, starting to collect her clothes. "Sorry guys, but I really just can't do this."

"Can't do this?" Tony looked angry. "We go through all of this and suddenly you can't do it? The hell is that!?"

"I have to agree with my friend here," Ben said, standing up. "You promised us a fun time, and we're going to have one—whether you have fun or not."

She heard the threat in his voice, and it paralyzed her. She backed up against the wall as they advanced on her, like wolves to fresh meat. In a normal circumstance, she probably would have easily fled. But she was without magic, and her wings were still not working. She was trapped, and was about to be raped. "No…!"

Not that it was completely rape, but it was still just as unwanted. Ben grabbed her and tossed her on the bed. She tried to regain her feet, but Tony and Jerome pinned her. As she struggled and screamed no, Ben positioned himself between her legs. "I'll try not to make it hurt too much," Ben said, an evil grin on his face. Chrysalis felt tears fall from her eyes and she tried to at least be somewhat prepared for the violation she was about to feel.

"You've got about ten seconds to let her go before I make it hurt a lot," A voice growled. Chrysalis dared to look up.

"Tyr…?" She murmured incredulously. He had found her? But how…?

"Who the hell is this guy?" Tony demanded, as he and the other guys scrambled to put on clothes..

"A person very involved with her well-being," Tyr said, eyes narrowing. "Get off of her right now."

"So this is the guy who stood you up, huh?" Jerome said, standing. He could barely look Tyr eye to eye. "And now he comes rushing back to rescue his girl."

Tyr glared at him, sparing a singular glance at Chrysalis. She shrunk back, as his eyes held only disappointment for her and fury at her would be partners. "Yeah, that's right. Chrys belongs to me. And if you hurt her I will _end_ you."

"Big words," Tony said, releasing Chrysalis. "You're outnumbered here, buddy."

Tyr grinned savagely. "…Hasn't stopped be before."

The four men faced off, Tyr all on his own. Chrysalis curled up even smaller, hoping that he wouldn't get hurt. "Get him!"

It started with a yell, and suddenly the three young men rushed him. She ducked under the blankets so she wouldn't have to watch. Tyr had come to her rescue, and he was about to be hurt protecting her. She couldn't bear to watch. She could hear the grunts, the roars of pain, and the whimpers of men being tossed into walls and tables. Each thud was accompanied by a curse. After a couple of minutes, the door opened; there were footsteps, and then silence. Was it over?

"You can come out of there any time, you know." Tyr's voice told her.

She slowly peeked out. The room was destroyed, bottles and glasses shattered, cracks in the wall the… blood. She looked over at Tyr. He was bruised, and had a cut or two on his arm, but other than that looked no more worse for wear. "…Are they gone?"

"Yeah," He said with a nod. "All gone."

They sat there in silence, Chrysalis wishing she had some kind of clothing on while Tyr just fell into an unreadable silence. They stayed that way for a long time. It was too much for her to handle right now. "…Are you mad at me?"

"Hell yes I am." He sighed. "I told you I was going to come back for you."

"I… I thought you would forget…"

"Have you that little faith in me? I promised you, and I meant it. I was going to come back."

The hurt in his voice was tangible to the Changeling girl, and she felt her own heart ache again. "…I… I thought maybe you'd be happier not worrying about me…"

"How could I be happy when one of my friends ran away and no one knew where she went?" He frowned. "Chrys. I need you to stop belittling yourself."

Chrys. Her nickname that he said with such fondness and concern. She nearly melted from that alone. "But… I'm a monster."

Tyr smiled and touched her face with one gentle hand. "I don't see it. I see a beautiful girl that managed to snag three guys all by herself."

She chuckled softly, leaning into his touch. "…I don't need them."

"Hm?"

"All I need is you. Just your affection, your friendship is more than enough to sustain me. I know that now."

Tyr's gaze suddenly hardened. "It took you that long to figure it out?"

She was taken aback by the severity in his eyes. "I… Tyr?"

Tyr walked a few steps away from her. "I was worried about you. You ran away without telling anyone, on top of seducing three guys."

The sight of his back turned to her made Chrysalis tear up. "…Tyr…?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have bothered. I mean, according to what Celestia and Cadance told me, sex would keep you alive." Tyr shrugged, not turning around. "So if this is how you want to live…"

"No!" Chrys ran to him, grabbing wildly at him. She managed to grab his arm and clung tightly to it. "Please, Tyr, I can't live like that! After meeting you, becoming your friend… Please, don't walk away!" She was wildly crying now. She must have looked pitiful then, sobbing and clinging to him like she was, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she was a Queen or anything. All she cared about right at this moment was not letting the first and only friend she had ever had leave her.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I need you! Even when I was with those men you were all I could think about…but not in that way! I just want…"

Tyr turned and pulled her into his arms. "Sorry Chrys, saying all that must have hurt, didn't it? I'm so sorry."

"Huh…?"

Tyr held her out at arm's length, gently rubbing the tears from her face. "I won't stop being your friend, Chrys. I just wanted to know if I'm yours. And with what you just said, it seems to be the case." He smiled. "Can you forgive me?"

Chrys sniffed. "If you can forgive me."

"Deal."

"Um… may I get dressed now?"

"Ah, right!" Tyr let her go. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Chrys said, moving to get her clothes. Her wrists hurt where those man had grabbed her, once she was fully dressed, she turned to find Tyr waiting at the door. He was smiling. "…What is it?"

"Just happy you're not planning on just running off anymore."

Chrys smiled. "Right… Just don't leave me alone with Pinkie Pie, alright?"

"Sure."

-x-

"It's quiet," Chrys murmured as they reentered Tyr's home. It was quite early in the morning, and both of them were exhausted.

"Luna and Sherry are more than likely asleep," Tyr said, yawning a bit. "Go ahead and head off to bed."

"Okay… Um… Tyr? May I do something?"

He frowned and turned to her. She was looking down at her hands, clasped in front of her. Whatever she wanted to say, it was taking a lot of effort just to say it. "What is it?"

"Will you… Will you let me Bind to you?"

"Bind…? What is that?"

"It is something a Changeling does when they find someone they wish to belong to. Only Queens ever do it, and it means they have chosen one person to… feed them. It requires both parties to agree to it totally, otherwise…"

"Otherwise?"

"The Changeling who initiated the Binding dies."

Tyr's eyes widened slightly. Chrys was willing to risk her life if it meant she could stay beside him? That's nothing he could take lightly. "You… really want to do something like that with me?"

"Yes! I mean… I trust you. Explicitly. And I already know that even if we do not do this, I will never be able to live without you being some part of my life." She blushed. "And I do intend for you to be a big part of my life."

"What does this mean if I do this?"

"It means… for all intents and purposes, you will own me. My life will be tied inexplicably to yours."

"…You really want to do this?"

Chrys smiled sadly. "I'm the last of my race. What was left of us after the war with Equestria were too weak to survive the Merge. Without a Bond, I will die alone. And that is the most terrifying thing any Changeling would have to endure. Even if I am nothing to you, I wish for you to be everything to me."

"What would you have to do?"

"I need to put a bit of my own DNA into you. Ever seen a vampire movie? It's like that."

Tyr unconsciously rubbed the side of his neck. "…Alright then. I accept. But on one condition."

Chrys moved over to him, gently pushing him into a seated position on the couch. She moved to straddle him, pushing her hair out of his face. "Yes?"

"From now on, you tell me whatever you are feeling, whenever,"

"Believe me," She murmured, moving her mouth towards his neck. She bared her fangs. "…I won't have much of a choice."

-x-

Tyr woke up as usual to the soft tickle of Luna's hair on his nose. "Morning beautiful," He murmured into her hair. After Chrys had bitten him last night and mixed their DNA, he had felt extremely tired, and went off to bed without any impetus. Wonder how Chrys was feeling.

"G-Good morning, beloved," Luna said, squirming slightly in his embrace. "Um… you're quite affectionate this morning…"

"Hm?"

"I thought you'd come home and go right to s-sleep, but it seems you were a bit more… awake than I thought."

"What do you mean?" He moved a bit, eliciting a surprised moan from his princess. Where on earth had that come from? "Um… Luna? Are you okay?"

"Y-you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed…?" As Tyr moved about again to get comfortable, he could feel Luna's skin warming up. She was panting slightly, and her hands were twisted into the bed sheets. It hit him just as Luna let out another sweet moan. He realized what was up just as she spoke again.

"You're _inside_ me!" She groaned, her voice carrying a mixture of longing and pleading. "And have been all night! I didn't get to sleep much…"

Tyr grinned. It was a good morning.

[Oh dear]

"What's wrong, Chrys?" Sherry asked, seeing the Changeling suddenly blush and squeeze her legs together. The two of them were sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast when Chrys had suddenly had her… reaction.

"Oh, it's nothing serious," Chrys said with a nervous chuckle. [Quite active this morning, aren't you, Master]

The thought came back hurried and confused. [Chrys? How am I able to hear you]

[Our newly formed Bond. I can talk to you through our minds, and we can share our emotions] She thought with a small smile. [On top of that… I can feel pleasure and pain through you as well]

[…I see]

[Finish up quickly, will you, my Master? Sherry and I would love to have breakfast with you and Luna]

[Ugh! Right, right]

"Um…?" Sherry noticed the smile on Chrys's face but decided it would be better to leave the subject alone. About twenty minutes later, Tyr and Luna came downstairs, the latter with a slightly apparent blush. "Hey Dad, hey Luna."

"Hello sweetie." Tyr patted her head as he passed to make himself and Luna breakfast.

"Nothing for me?" Chrys asked, smiling.

"Haven't you already eaten?" He deadpanned. She giggled. Sherry glanced between her father and her new friend, a confused look on her face. Something was going on, and the young girl was left out of the loop.

"At least Tia has not asked for my presence this day," Luna said with a sigh, sitting down beside Sherry.

"After the shooting, I doubt Ace and the others are too keen on her making a public appearance," Tyr said. He whipped up a quick breakfast of toast, eggs and some fruit for himself, Sherry, and Luna, then sat down to eat. "Honestly, Celestia might need some more guards."

"I would agree, although my sister may not."

"Seeing as Humans are the ones trying to kill her, I doubt she'd hire them to protect her," Chrys said with a sigh. She glanced over at Tyr. "Are you sure this house is safe?"

"I believe so. The people trying to kill Celestia weren't from around here."

"You did get all of them, I hope…"

"Same here."

They fell silent for a long minute. After waiting for what seemed like some time, Luna sighed. "…I know what you did, Chrys."

Sherry looked up from her food, confused. "Huh?"

Chrys was indignant. "He agreed to it."

"I am not surprised. However, you could have warned me! He attacked me in my sleep!"

"Oh?" Chrys said with a sly smile on her face. "I did not think it would lower his inhibitions… I guess that's why I felt so full getting up this morning."

"You…!"

As the two girls bickered back and forth, Sherry looked over at her father, who was quietly eating. "Dad, what are they talking about?"

Tyr bit into a slice of apple with particular gusto. "…I'll tell you when you're older."

-x-


	16. Chapter 15: Light as a Feather

Chapter 15: Light as a Feather

"Summer time!" Sherry proclaimed happily, bursting into the game room. She leapt into her father's chest as he sat on the couch. "No school!"

"Someone seems to be greatly excited," Luna pointed out. She, Tyr and Chrys had been all on the couch, playing Dungeon Siege 3. Tyr had picked up the game sometime after Christmas, and with Luna's console hooked up to a TV, they were doing three player co-op.

"Of course! Because of school, I don't get to see you guys all that much!" She pouted. "I miss being with dad, playing games with you and Chrys…"

"What is so special about summer?" Chrys asked.

"It's only like, the best season ever!"

"I personally prefer winter time," Luna said softly. "I enjoy the long nights."

"I don't have much in the way of a favorite," Tyr said thoughtfully. [Chrys?]

"Neither do I." She and Tyr had been utilizing their newly formed Bond ever since it had been formed. After all, they had had almost two months to get used to it. Although they could only hear each other's thoughts if they directed the thought at the other. Despite that, the emotional connection they now shared made them very aware of each other's feelings. Mainly because they now _felt_ those feelings.

"No fun," Sherry said, frowning.

With the coming of Summer, or at least the beginning of it, life in town had changed a bit. Tyr was getting more requests for repairs, mainly for air conditioning units. He didn't have to wear his jacket any more, which he didn't like, but now Luna was beginning to wear more short skirts thanks to the influence of Rarity, which he did like. Rarity had begun making special clothes specific to those who had wings, allowing them to be extended without destroying their clothes. Thus unrestricted, it was a lot easier to tell how many Pegasii were in town, as they could now fly to and fro from place to place. With more Pegasii flying, the chill of cold had given way to the warmth of summer much quicker than usual. Luna and Chrys, despite having wings of their own, still preferred to ride on Tyr's bike. He hadn't told them yet, but he had been saving his money from all the jobs and his guard job in order to buy something.

A new car.

It had been on his mind for a while; given his little family had doubled in size in such a short time. So he really did need a car, or even a truck for that matter. Plus, it would help with carrying larger tools for repair work… "Beloved," Luna said softly. "You seem deep in thought."

"I was just thinking about—"

"Thrice damned random number generator!" Chrys cursed. "Can not a single enemy in this game drop decent loot?"

"…Don't mind me," Tyr said with a chuckle. "I think Chrys is having worse luck."

Luna frowned. "I believe you may be correct."

"There is some hidden thing in this game that is preventing me from getting anything decent," Chrys growled.

"Oh come now. It cannot be that bad."

"Says the woman that has already gotten a rare staff and armor!"

Tyr chuckled softly as the two girls began to argue again. It was common enough that he wasn't worried. Luna's playful nature balanced out Chrys's seriousness, while Chrys was competitive enough that it challenged Luna. They had quickly become friends even without him to be the keystone of their relationship. Having Sherry mediate at times helped out too.

Chrys had also become somewhat friends with the other girls, mostly AJ, Rarity and Pinkie. Rarity and Pinkie mainly because Rarity loved the fact that she could use Chrys for a model, while Pinkie just loved making friends. Tyr had been more surprised to hear that Chrys and AJ had become somewhat close. From what he heard, Chrys had gone with Sherry to Sweet Apple Acres to help with getting the farm ready for spring and planting season. Chrys had helped out as best she could, which earned the respect of 'that crazy strong barbarian woman' as Chrys called her. AJ only took offense at the barbarian part. They still regarded her with a bit of suspicion, but it was beginning to wane.

Tyr had become friends with his co-workers, all except for Night Watch. The man still shot glares at him and longing looks at Luna, but a sense of respect had grown between them after the events at Celestia's public speaking incident. Night had protected his girlfriend, while Tyr had proven himself to be highly dangerous, and competent in a fight. They had come to a sort of mutual respect. Speaking of Celestia, the current leader of the Equestrians had taken to dropping by his house to visit her little sister randomly, or playing pranks on her and weird times. According to Luna, while she was quite fun loving herself, Celestia had a silly streak a mile wide and loved joking with people she was close with. On the other hand, Celestia also proved to be a shrewd leader. Since Equestria had worked off a gold currency, she had—in the space of a few months—gathered up what gold pieces her subjects had left, melted them down into bars, and sold them. In a single move, she had made herself the richest woman in three countries, and she had wasted no time investing it, since the bits weren't useful as currency. She had hired half dozen new guards and set Ace as the captain. She still paid him handsomely, though.

"I have an idea!" Sherry said.

"For?" Chrys asked.

"For what we can do during the summer!" She grinned. "Sure, staying home is cool, but we should go somewhere with all the others!"

"And where would that be, little one?" Luna asked.

"We could go to the beach!" She smiled. She was always adorable when she was excited. "It's bound to be even warmer near the ocean!"

The beach. It wasn't so bad an idea, Tyr figured. Especially with everyone there. Plus, he would be able to see— "Wouldn't we need swimsuits?" Luna asked.

Something about the idea of Luna in a swimsuit was more erotic than her completely naked. [Seems you have been, as they say, 'turned on', my Master]

Tyr shot her a dark glare, and the Changeling giggled softly. Sherry didn't notice. "That is true," She said. "I know! If we tell the girls we can all go shopping together!"

Chrys felt a wave of dread roll off of her Master, and she looked over at him concerned. [Are you all right?]

[Women and shopping usually doesn't bode well for me] Tyr thought. [I have three sisters, after all]

"I have never been shopping," Luna said.

"Neither have I," Chrys agreed.

"Then we should ask someone for help."

"We can ask Rarity!" Sherry suggested.

"I suppose that is a good idea," Luna said. She glanced over at Tyr. "Will you come with us, dear?"

"No, this seems more like a girl's night out anyway. And I have something I need to do."

"Something you need to do?"

"And that's how you ended up with the day away from your girl?" Flash asked. He, Tyr, and the other two original guards were at the town's only car dealership, since Celestia was being watched by the others. Tyr had called Ace about buying a truck, and for some reason, he had brought the other two. Didn't bother him much, though. The company was always nice.

"Well, essentially." He went over to a smaller sedan that was colored gold. Too small for him, he thought.

Flash shrugged. "Well, as much as I hate having Twi away from me…"

Ace rolled his eyes. "You two and your relationships."

"Hey man, if you had one you wouldn't be complaining."

"And who am I supposed to be asking out?" Ace narrowed his eyes. "I mean, yeah, I can probs pick up a girl pretty easy, but I want something that will _last_ , you know?"

"Like the car I'm looking for," Tyr mumbled.

"Yeah, like a car—wait, what?"

Tyr waved a hand to get the attention of the dealer. "You guys have any extended cab trucks?"

"Uh, yeah, we do." The dealer walked off briskly.

"Extended cab?" Flash frowned. "What do you want with one of those?"

"You don't carry that much crap around, do you?" Ace asked.

"I highly doubt that," Night snorted. "Unless he's planning to drive that bike around with him."

"Course not," Tyr rolled his eyes.

"Then why?"

"Well, partly because the girls wanted to…go…" He trailed off.

The three men stared at him for a long moment. "…Where do they want to go?" Ace asked.

Tyr coughed. "…The beach."

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US."

"It just happened today!"

"Hm," Flash seemed thoughtful. "Twi was kinda excited when I saw her this morning."

"They're swimsuit shopping," Tyr said, holding Ace away from strangling him.

"SWIMSUITS TOO?"

"What, you expect them to swim naked?" Night chuckled. "If only we could be that lucky."

"This bastard was planning to be the only guy there!"

"No, I'm pretty sure Flash would have been asked to come…" Tyr offered.

"I thought we were friends, man!"

"Look, if it helps, I'll ask the girls if you can come." He glanced over at Night. "You want to come too?"

Night shrugged. "Why not?"

The dealer drove over, with a pretty big silver four door truck. "This what you're looking for?" He asked.

Tyr smiled. The truck wasn't too big, but it was large enough that he could, in theory, carry his bike if necessary. "I like it."

"Never pegged you for a truck man," Flash joked.

"What can I say? I like them." Tyr and the dealer quickly settled on a decent price, for the truck had been preowned. Before long, they were actually pulling his bike onto the truck bed.

"Told you," Night muttered as they locked it down.

"Ha ha." Tyr frowned. "Since I can, I'm going to run this back by my house. Thanks for hanging out with me, guys."

"Well, my girl is hanging out with yours, and Ace and Night are single…" Flash teased.

"Well, maybe after this beach trip I won't be!" Ace huffed. "There will be plenty of girls there, right?"

"I mean, well… yeah," Tyr couldn't bring himself to burst Ace's bubble.

"You'd think it be easy in a race where the men are outnumbered 20-1," Night muttered. "But no…"

"Well, be ready this weekend," Tyr said, hopping up into the cab of the truck. It was pretty spacious, and comfortable.

"What beach are we going to anyway?"

"Celestia said she'd handle it."

The three men shared a look. "Well, I suppose if the Princess is handling it…" Ace muttered.

"We'll see you Friday then."

Tyr nodded and drove off. For once, he didn't feel the rush of wind as he drove, which is something he'd have to really get used to. Well… the sacrifices for the ones you love, right?

-x-x-

"I still can't believe you bought a truck," Luna said, watching Tyr load up their things. She was wearing a sundress of sky blue and a sun hat with a large sun emblazoned onto the side. Tyr smiled. He always thought Luna looked prettier in dresses.

"Well, I had talked about getting a car for a while now, so I decided to go ahead and do it."

"Fair enough…" She glanced over as Chrys and Sherry came out, the latter in a tank top and shorts and the former wearing a sundress as well.

"Well, there are all my lovely ladies," Tyr joked. "You two ready?"

"As ready as I can be to bake under the sun," Chrys said dryly.

"Hey, just sit under the umbrella then." He looked over at Sherry and Luna. "You guys got your swimsuits?"

"Yes!" They both replied.

"Sunscreen?"

"Yes!"

"Spare clothes?"

"Yeas!"

"Enthusiasm?"

Chrys rolled her eyes. Sherry grinned widely. "Yeah!"

Tyr ruffled her hair. "Good. Everyone in!"

"So what beach are we going to?" Sherry asked as they all climbed into the truck. Luna got into the front with Tyr while Sherry and Chrys got into the back.

"Tia says Cadance and Shining Armor are living on a secluded stretch of beach. She said they'd love to have us all there." He pulled away from the house. It was about an hour and a half drive to the beach, so Tyr settled in.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Sherry said.

"You're awfully excited about this," Chrys murmured.

"Of course! Applebloom and Sweetie Bell kept talking about it, and I've never been, so…"

"You've never seen the ocean?" Luna asked.

"Never up close. I've only ever seen pictures."

"It is quite the beautiful sight."

"This coming from the moon princess," Chrys teased.

"How hilarious."

"Oh come on you two, get along," Tyr said with a laugh.

"This is us getting along," Chrys said.

"I see."

The two girls giggled. "It is sweet of you to want us to get along though," Luna said.

"Just want to make sure this drive is somewhat peaceful."

"We'll be good," Chrys purred. [Promise, Master]

[Yeah, whatever]

"Do you know where this place is?" Sherry asked.

Tyr smiled. "I've got a map, no worries."

Even with the help of the map, it was still almost two hour drive to Shining and Cadance's home. It was a wide, two story condo that was built atop a small cliff that overlooked the sea and looked like the top floor had one large window as a wall to one side. As Tyr pulled up in the wide driveway, he noticed AJ's van was already there. "The girls beat us," Luna said thoughtfully.

They all got out of the truck, Tyr moving to grab their things. He heard an engine behind him, and a black car pulled up beside them. He recognized Ace at the wheel and Flash sitting in the passenger's seat. "Yo!" Ace greeted him as they got out. Celestia and Night got out of the back.

"You guys must have started later than us," Tyr said, bumping fists with his friend.

"That would be my fault," Celestia said. "I had them come get me as well."

For once not in business attire, Tyr had the pleasure to see Celestia in a casual dress for once. "Princess," He said respectfully. That got a laugh out of her.

"You don't need to call me that unless you're defecting," She said.

"Hm. Do I get to keep Luna if I do?" He shot a playful glance back at Luna, who blushed.

Celestia looked like she was considering it. "I suppose that is fair enough. I expect four nieces or nephews."

"Tia!" Luna blushed even harder.

"One," Tyr countered.

"Three," Celestia shot back.

"Two, final offer."

"Fine, but I expect one to be named after me."

"Middle name."

"…Acceptable." They shook hands.

"Oh, you two!" Luna complained, embarrassed.

Celestia and Tyr laughed while everyone else simply shook their heads. "Oh, calm down, Lulu," Celestia said. "We were simply playing around."

"You and your jokes," Luna muttered, heading to the house. Everyone else gathered their things and joined her. Before they could knock, the door swung wide open, revealing a bright and cheery Cadance.

"You all made it!" She said, grinning from ear to ear. Her smile lessened a bit when she noticed Chrys, but it was easily missed. "Come in, come in, and put your stuff down! Everyone else is already down at the beach!"

She hurried them inside. "Jeez, excited much?" Tyr muttered.

Cadance had a sparkle in her eye. "No reason~!"

[She wants to see your reaction when you see Luna's swimsuit] Chrys thought.

[What, why?] Tyr thought back. He and the other guys set their bags in a pile near one wall, a short bit away from a similar pile of bags that probably belonged to the girls.

[…I believe I made something called a 'Pinkie promise']

[What is that?]

[I do not know, but I was threatened with a cupcake in the eye if I broke it. You will have to wait]

"Boys, you can go change in Shining's room," Cadance said. "Girls, follow me!"

She led all the others upstairs. Tyr and the guys shared a look. "…Where is Shining's room?"

They found it, after a few minutes of searching. It was decorated with sports paraphernalia and workout equipment. The four of them quickly changed into their swim shorts. "Jeez Tyr," Ace said, glancing over as Tyr packed his stuff up. "How much do you work out?"

"Hm?" Tyr straightened up. "Not that often. Mostly on weekends when I don't have much to do."

"Here I was thinking you'd say every night…"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd think that."

"Can't you keep your mind clean for like ten minutes?" Night complained.

"Nah," Ace said with a grin. "You'd guys hate me if I kept quiet."

"Well, he was quiet on the ride here," Flash muttered.

"Celestia was in the car!" Ace said. "I can't have her think I'm some perverted letch."

"Who's a pervert?" Cadance suddenly stuck her head into the room.

"Agh! Princess Cadance!"

"You guys done or not?" She glanced at Tyr. "…Oh my,"

Tyr frowned. "What?"

She looked him up and down. "Luna wasn't joking, huh…"

"Okay, if you're done molesting me with your eyes…"

Cadance grinned. "If you've got it, flaunt it. Now get out here!"

The four guys came out, only to find Cadance already in her swimsuit, a pink and white two piece that crossed across her back and had a heart shaped ring holding the front together. Tyr couldn't help staring for a moment. "Oh my," He said, meeting her eyes.

"Like I said," She said, turning away and shaking her hips seductively. "If you've got it…"

"You're crazy."

"Better be careful," She winked at him. "Do anything, and not only will Shining kill you, but you'll have two Princesses after you too."

"Jeez, you're a serious flirt!"

"That's my Cady." Shining emerged from a side room. "Do you have to tease my friends, love?"

"I can't help it!" She giggled, hugging him. "Tyr plays along!"

Tyr shrugged. "So I've got two jokester princesses. Wonderful."

"She's relatively harmless," Shining said with a laugh. "Come on, everyone's waiting on you guys."

"I'll go on ahead," Cadance said. "Wouldn't want you boys to not get a good look before I go."

She walked off, swaying noticeably for the following men. "…You're one lucky bastard, you know that Shining?" Ace said.

"I'm well aware," Shining said with a grin. "Come on, let's head down."

The five of them made their way down a long wooded walkway to the beachfront. The sea was bright and shining, and it was a beautiful summer day. The sand felt warm beneath his feet, Tyr noticed, but it was soft and gave way with every step. He basked in the sight for a moment before a voice called out to him, softly, yet for him it could have been someone yelling his name.

"Beloved."

Tyr lowered his gaze to see Luna coming towards him. She was dressed in a dark blue two piece swimsuit; crescent moons styled into the fabric, and was tied behind her neck. He stared, dumbstruck. "…Luna," He managed to reply.

[Ooh.]

[Not the _time_ , Chrys]

[Your body is quite honest, I see]

Tyr shot the Changeling a sharp look, only to find her clad in a string black bikini. […damn you.]

Chrys giggled. "I apologize for keeping it a secret, Master."

Ignoring the confused looks of the others behind him, Tyr moved to meet Luna. The smile on her face at seeing him turned into an embarrassed one as she looked away. "…Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Tyr smiled. "I love it. You look… amazing."

"Good. I took a long time to pick it out."

"No kidding!" Sherry suddenly came over, in a frilly pink swimsuit. "She was the last one to get hers!"

"It's cute," Tyr said. "So is yours."

"Hey!" Twilight's voice called. "Are you guys going to come over or what?"

"Guys…" Ace said as the five men came back together. "I believe I've died and gone to heaven."

Night snorted. "The hell?"

"You realize we're on a beach surrounded by half naked women, right?"

"You realize three of us are taken," Flash pointed out. The girls were rushing out into the water, while the guys set out blankets and umbrellas.

"Oh come on man! You can still admire."

As Flash shook his head, Shining laughed. "So you actually plan to sit here and admire all the girls."

"Well, duh. I'm a man. Come on guys, I could probably run you through each of the girl's selling points."

"Why don't you indulge us," Flash said dryly.

"First, those of us with girlfriends/wives can't get defensive when we get to your significant other. Second, you have to play along."

"Fine."

"Alright," Tyr agreed.

"Fair enough," Shining said. "As long as you don't rag on my sister."

"I think he'd prefer to 'shag' her, I believe," Night snickered.

"Oh, screw you," Ace snapped.

"Let's just get on with it," Tyr suggested.

"Alright!" Ace said happily, clapping his hands together. "Who to do first…"

"You just can't help it can you?"

"Why don't we consider Applejack first?"

"AJ?"

"Yeah, come on. She's a hard working farmer girl who's still got some great hips on her. Plus, that orange bikini top and jean shorts is just too good."

Night shrugged. "Fair enough. Although the thought of a girl who could lift me over her head with ease is kinda a turn off."

"So you'd rather be with someone gentle like Fluttershy then?" Shining asked.

"Ah, the ever shrinking violet that is the pretty Fluttershy," Ace said. "Although she hasn't taken off that wrap of hers, you can clearly see she's got quite the curves on her."

"I think Fluttershy would be too shy for you guys," Tyr offered. Apparently the fact that AJ and Fluttershy were together was still a secret.

"So what, you expect Ace to ask out Pinkie?" Night chuckled.

"She's crazy, but still pretty hot. I mean, I would hazard a guess she's got the biggest front end out of all of them!" Ace said. He grinned. "I mean, that pink bikini isn't doing much to keep them from bouncing…"

"To be honest," Shining said, scratching the back of his neck. "I think Rarity is pretty attractive."

"That off the shoulder one piece does show off her body pretty well," Ace agreed. "She looks good in white." He smiled a bit at his own dirty joke.

Now Tyr felt like that one friend in the group that knew something all the others didn't. Thankfully, Ace was persuaded to continue. "So what about Rainbow Dash?" Night asked.

"Hm. Tight body, athletic build, slim figure… not bad. She sure picked those boy-short bottoms and that tight racing top for good effect."

"She's super competitive," Night said. "I can respect that, but I wouldn't date her."

"Well, what about Twilight?" Ace tried, shooting a glance at Shining."

"Total bookworm, cute though."

"Yeah, Twi has always been one of those," Shining said with a laugh.

Flash shrugged. "She's surprisingly innocent about some things, and I love her for it."

"Who's next?" Ace asked.

Shining sent a smile Tyr's way. "How about Luna?"

"Well…" Ace glanced over at Tyr.

"Go ahead," He told him.

"Well… She's got a small chest, but her body shape makes it work for her." Ace said thoughtfully. "Nice hips for her size, and quite the pretty face. Plus, I just have a thing for girls with long hair."

"I can understand that," Tyr murmured, watching his beloved playing in the sand with Sherry. They were building a sand castle with Applebloom and Scootaloo. It was coming along pretty well, minus Scootaloo's part, which looked like mush.

"What are you all talking about?"

The guys looked up to find Cadance and Celestia standing over them. Tyr found himself staring up at the bottom of Celestia's chest. "Oh my, Tyr," Celestia said, covering her mouth to keep from laughing. She looked good in her white bikini.

"Oh don't you start," Tyr grumbled, looking away.

"You guys were looking at the girls inappropriately, weren't you?" Cadance declared, sitting in Shining's lap.

"Well…" Ace said sheepishly. "Yes and no…"

"I assume you haven't gotten to us yet, have you?" Celestia asked.

"Um… No."

The princess of the sun smiled. "Go ahead then."

She looked to Ace expectantly. As the poor guy stammered and tried to make an excuse, Tyr felt a tap on his shoulder. Chrys was standing behind him. "What's up, Chrys?"

"Luna wished for your presence, Master," She said.

"Well, I can't refuse an order from my princess, now can I?" He stood up.

"Tyr…" Cadance said, frowning.

"What?"

"Dude," Ace said, surprised. "You've got a Cutie Mark?"

"Oh, that." Tyr glanced over his shoulder. "Well… kinda."

Celestia rose and came over to him. She touched the mark lightly, her soft touch making Tyr jump a bit. "When did you get this?" She asked.

"I found it there the day after I confessed to Luna."

"How could you have gotten it…?"

"Maybe the magic of Equestria is seeping back slowly?" Cadance asked.

"Perhaps."

"It started to burn a bit when those Scarecrows attacked," Tyr said. "And then I just felt that Luna was in danger."

"You sensed Luna was in danger?" Celestia asked.

"I guess you could say that."

"Hm. Also… Master?"

Tyr frowned, and then sighed. "I'll explain later." He put a hand on Chrys's back and led her away.

"Did I cause you any undue problems, Master?" She cooed playfully.

"Oh don't start or you won't get hugs for a day."

"…I'm sorry."

They joined Luna and Sherry helping Applebloom shore up a side of her sandcastle. "There you are, beloved," Luna said, coming over to hug him. "What were you all talking about?"

"We were just joking around," Tyr replied.

"Hm. If you say so…"

[You could always tell her you're more aroused by her than the other girls] Chrys thought.

[Chrys… just stop] Tyr sighed. Luna looked at him curiously.

"Is something the matter, beloved?" She asked.

"No, I'm alright."

"What does beloved mean?" Applebloom asked, peeking over a wall of sand she was shaping. Tyr was amazed at the girl's constructive ability. She had made a shoulder high wall of sand that was topped with ramparts and towers, all just with sand.

"It is a sort of affectionate nickname," Luna said after a moment of thought. "It means 'one who is loved'.

"Do you have a nickname for Luna, Tyr?" Sweetie Bell asked, coming over.

Tyr thought for a moment. "…I don't," He said. "I don't think I ever thought of one."

"My sister says that nicknames show how close people are," Sweetie Bell continued. "It's why she calls Pinkie Pie 'Pinkie-winkle'."

"That sounds silly," Applebloom said.

"Yeah, I agree!" Scootaloo appeared behind another wall.

"Oh, don't start, Scoots," Spike said, shaking his head.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?"

Tyr wasn't paying much attention to them, instead thinking about what Sweetie Bell had said. He hadn't come up with a single nickname to call his beloved princess, and he didn't consider 'princess' to be one. It was her actual title, after all. "Dad?" Sherry asked, concerned.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine." He smiled.

"If you say so…"

"Hey!" Rainbow called. "How about a game of volley ball?"

"I'm always up for a game." Ace asked. "How're we deciding teams?"

"Girls vs. Guys," Rainbow said with a smile. "Five on five."

"Of course, since there are only six guys around…"

"I'll pass," Spike said.

"S-same," Fluttershy squeaked.

"Come on, let's get going!" Rainbow said, holding a volleyball over her head. "AJ, Twilight, Pinkie, come on!"

"I'll be inside," Chrys muttered.

Cadance watched her walk the path back to the house. "…I'll go see if she needs any help." She followed after.

"I suppose I will join in," Celestia said, standing up. "Don't go easy on me, boys."

-x-

The volleyball game lasted well into the evening, the scores staying tied for the majority of the game. Celestia was surprisingly agile, although Tyr and Shining made it difficult for the princess to score. Despite the tie, everyone was so tired they decided to call the game. Tyr spotted Fluttershy out in the water with Sherry, watching the girl as she floated in an inner tube. "I'm tired," Twilight complained.

"You've never been one for physical activity," Flash joked. He got a swat from a violet wing in response. "Ow."

"There's some lemonade in the house," Cadance said, coming back out, Chrys following her. At the prospect of a cool drink, most everyone went inside.

"Ready to go in?" Fluttershy asked Sherry. The pink haired girl thought for a moment.

"I kinda wanna stay out here…"

"I'll watch her," Tyr offered, coming over. They were kinda far from shore, but it wasn't that far.

"Oh, thanks Tyr." Fluttershy swam over and pulled herself out of the water. Her canary yellow bikini was surprisingly modest for all the covering she had been doing.

"Don't mention it."

She went back to the house, Tyr taking a seat on the shore to watch his daughter. She was admiring something swimming around her feet. "Hey dad?" She said suddenly.

"Yeah? What's up Sherry?"

"You won't… you won't ever leave me, right?"

"Leave you?" Tyr frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, you and Luna love each other, right? And… and maybe one day you'll have kids and…"

"Sherry. No matter what, you'll always be my daughter. And I will never stop loving you."

Sherry looked down at her feet. The distance between them was long, if only physically. "…Sorry."

"I understand. Freyja was like that when Sif was born. She was afraid I'd stop being her big brother to be Sif's."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Freyja was always the baby, and then Sif was born. She thought we'd stop giving her attention. We didn't."

"Oh…"

"So you don't have to worry." He smiled.

Sherry smiled. "Okay."

"Alright, I think it's time for you to get out, okay?"

"Okay—wait, I think I kicked something."

"…Kicked something?"

"Yeah, hold on." She started to fumble around in the water, reaching for whatever it was.

"Hey, Sherry, be careful, okay?"

"I will, I will… I got it!" She held up a small fist sized cube with strange markings etched into it. Tyr glanced at the object for only a split second, before looking worriedly towards his daughter. She was balanced precariously over the inner tube.

"Sherry…"

"Agh!" Sherry tipped over into the water. She flailed about, trying to stay above the water. "Daddy!"

"Sherry!" Tyr yelled, watching his little girl dip below the water. He was rushing out in an instant, diving into the water after her. She was much further out than he thought, as he swam directly for her. She had sunk pretty deep, and was trying to hold her breath as best she could. Damn current! Tyr cursed mentally. It was pulling her further away, and he pushed his strokes faster to reach her. She couldn't hold her breath for much longer, could she?

Sherry was struggling. She had held her breath as long as she could, but she couldn't anymore. Her mouth opened just slightly, and then water rushed in. She saw Tyr swimming to her, but the water…

Tyr reached her and pulled her into his arms. The small girl had already swallowed some water, and they were too deep. He cursed to himself. He was not letting her drown. He pressed his mouth to hers, forcing his breath into her. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was doing. As soon as he broke away, she clamped her mouth shut. Wrapping her arms around him, Tyr began to swim back to the surface. Then suddenly, he felt his chest tighten. All that movement during the game had tired him out. Almost involuntarily, he felt his mouth open. As he felt the water start rushing in, he reached out for the only lifeline he had.

[Chrysalis!]

-x-

Tyr woke up to a pair of concerned blue eyes. "Tyr! Oh, thank goodness you're alright."

He spit up some water and sat up. As soon as he moved, he was embraced by his daughter. "Daddy!" She sobbed into his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Tyr looked around to find Chrys and Fluttershy nearby, both kneeling beside him. "You got Fluttershy…?" He asked, coughing again.

"I do not know how to swim," Chrys admitted, looking away. "And Fluttershy was the first one I found."

"I had to um… give you mouth to mouth," Fluttershy said, blushing deeply.

"Ah… well, thanks." Tyr gave his daughter a comforting hug. "I'm just glad Sherry is okay."

Fluttershy smiled. "Well, I'm just glad Chrys called me and got out here in time."

"Thanks, Chrys," Tyr said. The Changeling smiled ever so softly.

"You called for me, Master, so I came," She said. "It is as simple as that."

"We should get back to the house," Fluttershy suggested. "The others may be worried about us."

With Chrys and Sherry's help, Tyr got up onto his feet. With his daughter clinging to his waist and his Changeling following, they went back to the house. As they entered, they found everyone in the living room. "Oh, there you are!" Rarity said. However, once she got a good look at them, her expression fell. "What happened to you, darling?"

"You're soaked!" Applebloom said, pointing at Sherry.

"A couple towels would be good," Tyr said.

"I got you, bro," Shining said, hopping up and going to a nearby closet. He tossed a couple of towels Tyr's way. Tyr quickly wrapped Sherry in a towel before drying off himself.

"Thanks dad," She said, pulling the towel close.

"What happened to y'all?" AJ asked.

"I fell in the water," Sherry explained. "Dad had to come get me."

"Sherry told me she couldn't swim," Fluttershy said. "Tyr had to give her air, and then I had to pull him out."

"And give him CPR," Chrys murmured.

"Lucky guy," Dash said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry, AJ," Fluttershy said hurriedly, but the farm girl shook her head.

"It's fine. You were trying to save his life, right? I ain't gonna fault you for that."

"You were only doing what you had to," Luna said quietly.

Tyr glanced around at the empty plates and soda cans scattered around the room. Cadance noticed and stood up. "There's food in the kitchen. Follow me."

Tyr nodded. He glanced back at Chrys. [Take care of Sherry for me]

[Of course] Chrys replied. She moved over to help the girl dry off. Tyr followed Cadance into the kitchen. As she had said, there was a lot of salad and other vegetarian foods scattered about, along with several cans of soda. Cadance quickly whipped up a plate.

"Take that to your daughter and then come back," She said with a playful wink. Tyr raised an eyebrow, but did just so. He went back into the kitchen to find Cadance holding a pair of sodas. She held one out for him.

"I guess you want to talk," Tyr stated, popping open his can of soda. It fizzed quietly as he waited for Cadance to speak. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face, deciding to take a sip of soda before saying anything. With nothing else to really look at, Tyr found himself looking at the Princess of Love. Cadance had tied her hair into a loose braid after being outside for so long, and she was still in her bikini. Even as much as he tried not to look, his masculine instincts kicked in. She was extremely beautiful, a trait the Princesses seemed to share, and her lithe frame and the way she carried it seemed to accentuate that. However, a weird feeling in the back of his mind seemed to remind him that she belonged to someone else, and—even stronger—his heart belonged to Luna. His skin prickled. He frowned, trying to figure out where the feeling came from.

"So you can notice it," Cadance murmured. Her cream colored wings flared ever so slightly before folding back.

"What, the feeling of something nagging me about staying true to Luna? Or my skin prickling?"

"That might be just you, or the influence of my magic." Cadance smiled.

"Your magic?"

"I'm the Princess of Love. My inherent ability was to facilitate and build upon love. I don't do it consciously since I lost my magic, but it seems I still do it naturally."

"So that means…"

"It means at least you can identify magic when you feel it," She said. "Something I don't think humans naturally do."

"So what, am I not human then?" Tyr chuckled. "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure I'm human."

"Maybe exposure to one of the most powerful people from our world has… affected you."

"…Maybe."

Cadance sighed. "But that's not why I wanted to talk to you."

"So the real reason?"

"Chrys apologized to me."

"Chrys?" Tyr frowned. "What did she… oh."

"She apologized for what she did to me," Cadance continued, "For imprisoning me and brainwashing Shiny."

"Did you forgive her?"

"…I don't know. I said I would try to drop what animosity I had towards her, but…"

"She's being truthful," Tyr said. "She doesn't want to jeopardize what she's found."

"And what is that?"

"She found friends. Isn't that something you guys always stress? Friendship is Magic, and all that?"

Cadance frowned and turned to look out of the window. "Yeah… I guess."

"You guess?"

"I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. But only because of you, Tyr. You bring out the best in her."

"I'll accept that. Just give her a chance."

"Alright." She turned back to him and smiled. "You're a wonderful friend, Tyr. I'm a little jealous that Chrys has you all to herself."

"Well, if you lived in the same town as us…"

She giggled. "And interfere with your little family? I would never!"

Tyr smiled. "Come on, let's go back to the others."

"They might be going off to sleep," Cadance said thoughtfully. "Since it was so late, I figured everyone would stick around and stay the night."

"Ah, I see." Tyr and Cadance reentered the living room, with the majority of their friends still there. Oddly enough, Luna was absent.

"Lulu said her stomach wasn't feeling well," Celestia said, noticing Tyr looking for her sister. "She went off to the guest room."

"Hopefully it wasn't something from the food…" Cadance murmured.

"Same here," Shining said.

Tyr glanced over at Chrys. [Yes?] She thought, meeting his gaze.

[Cadance said she appreciated what you did] Tyr went over to her.

[…She did?]

[Yeah. Good girl.] He reached out and stroked her hair. She blushed, but a genuine smile crossed her face.

"Well, it's late," Twilight said with a yawn. She smiled over at the four sleeping Crusaders plus Spike. "I think all our little ones are all tuckered out too."

"I'm plum-tuckered myself," AJ said, stretching. She glanced down at the sleeping Fluttershy in her lap. "I'm sure Shy here could use some rest too."

"You guys are free to use wherever," Shining said. "Our house is your house for the night."

Everyone slowly moved off to find space in the house. Celestia came over to Tyr. "Lulu is in one of the guest rooms," She told him.

"I'll take care of Sherry," Chrys assured him softly, holding the dozing girl in her lap.

That earned her another pat. "Thanks Chrys." He smiled as she purred ever so softly. He went over, grabbed a shirt from his bag and put it on as he went to go find his Princess. It didn't take long, as he spotted her sitting in the window of a room facing the sea. With the darkness of the night rapidly deepening, and the soft back and forth of the sea below, it was almost like he had stepped into a painting. Upon hearing him enter the room, she turned to look at him.

"Hello, beloved," She murmured, smiling.

"Hey… Moony," He said. His sudden creation of the nickname surprised both of them.

"…Moony?" She giggled a little in spite of herself. Tyr went over and sat beside her.

"It just came to me. I was thinking about the whole nickname thing…"

"You didn't need to make a nickname for me, beloved. I am simply happy you say my name and even look at me."

"Why wouldn't I look at you?"

"I have… done horrible things in the past. I tried to bring upon eternal night, simply out of jealousy." Luna frowned and rubbed her hands together. "I was jealous my sister was more loved than I."

"Was she?"

"I was banished for 1000 years on the moon because I grew jealous and fought her," Luna said dryly. "All because I was upset the day was more loved than the night."

"But isn't the night comfortable?" Tyr asked, looking outside. "I don't think anyone could really stay awake at night when it is this soothing."

They sat there in silence, listening to the sea. "I wish I had had you to talk to back then," Luna murmured. "Perhaps I would not have made such a rash decision."

"Well, we all have things in our past we regret. But we just have to look forward to the future, right?"

"You are correct," Luna said with a happy nod.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Better than earlier, although I still feel a little sick."

"Well, some rest will help."

"You are most likely correct again, beloved. Let us retire." She made to move to the bed when Tyr laughed. "What do you find so entertaining?"

"The diction you use," Tyr said, smiling widely.

"I was banished for a thousand years! I apologize if my way of speaking offends you!" She blushed deeply.

"No, I find it adorable. I quite like it."

"…You don't find it strange?"

"No. I love it."

Her blush deepened. "I suggest we go to bed now, before all the blood rushes to my cheeks."

"Alright love."

* * *

 **Gotta love those obligatory beach scenes. And I have to personally admit, Chrysalis is slowly becoming one of my favorite characters to write. Expect her to get a LOT more screen time.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and be waiting on the Library to wake up again to post. ^_^**


	17. Chapter 16: Back Down to Earth

**Could you believe the Library almost didn't wake up to post this? Shame on me.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Back Down to Earth

For the first time in a long time, Tyr woke up alone. The usual body of warmth he held close to him was oddly missing. He sat up and scanned the room, not finding who he was looking for. He got up, slipped on a pair of shorts and another t-shirt and walked out into the hall. Twilight and Cadance were standing outside the bathroom. "Waiting on someone?" He asked jokingly, walking over. The worried looks he got made him lose his joking attitude.

Luna emerged from the bathroom, looking paler than usual. "Beloved…"

"Christ!" He rushed over to her, taking her in his arms. "What's wrong?"

"I woke up this morning and saw her run into the bathroom," Twilight said. "She's been throwing up for almost half an hour."

Tyr looked at his princess. "You started feeling worse this morning?"

Luna nodded. "I… didn't want to wake you…"

"This is exactly the thing you wake me up for. Moony, you can always ask me for help."

Luna nodded wordlessly, hanging onto Tyr. "You should put her back in bed," Cadance suggested.

Suddenly, Luna shook her head, pulling away from Tyr and running back into the bathroom. The sound of retching reached his ears. "…Maybe we should watch over her," Twilight offered.

"Good idea." She smiled sadly at Tyr. "We'll let you know when she feels better."

Sighing and realizing he was not needed, Tyr could do nothing but nod. He left the hall and went into the living room, surprised to find all the guys there. "…Surprised to see you all up early," He said.

"Hey, we don't oversleep," Flash said with a grin.

"Heard Luna wasn't feeling to well," Shining said. "She alright?"

"She's throwing up," Tyr explained, sitting beside Ace. "It might be what upset her stomach last night."

"Hope she's alright," Flash said.

"Cadance and Twilight are taking care of her." He glanced over at Ace, who was sitting there with a happy smile on his face. "…Did I miss something?"

"Apparently, Ace had a good night," Night said, rolling his eyes.

"Dude." Ace grinned. "It was awesome."

"How he managed it in my house without me knowing is beyond me," Shining muttered.

"How on earth…?" Tyr frowned. "With who?"

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

"…Rainbow Dash."

Everyone in the room paused at that. Tyr coughed. "I don't believe you."

Ace laughed. "Figures. But she wandered into where I was sleeping last night, and a bit of harmless flirting ended up with us enjoying one another's company."

"Well, at least you got laid," Night said with a dismissive snort.

"That's not just it!" Ace said excitedly. "You guys don't even know. I've had like the biggest crush on Rainbow Dash for ages."

"Really?" Shining frowned. "Well, not surprising, as you were a Pegasus in Equestria. And she was pretty famous."

"That's not it either. I knew Dash back in school. We even worked on the weather team before I moved to Canterlot to become a Royal Guard."

"So you've liked her all this time?" Tyr asked.

"Yeah. But I never talked to her or anything, until last night." He leaned back in his seat. "You guys think I have a chance?"

Flash shrugged. "I mean, there isn't any hope lost for you if you managed to convince her to sleep with you…"

"Way to make it sound like she took pity on me, Flash."

As they laughed at that, the woman of the hour came around the corner, wearing only her underwear. Her rainbow hair was as unkempt as usual, but as far as Tyr could tell that's how it looked like all the time. "Hey guys," She said with a lopsided smile.

"Hey Dash," Flash said. He smiled. "Seems you had a rough night."

For once, Rainbow blushed. "Yeah… speaking of that, Ace, can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Uh… sure." Ace got up and followed Rainbow out onto the porch.

"What do you think is up?" Tyr asked.

"Maybe she's confessing to him," Night offered.

"Rainbow Dash confessing to a guy? That's silly!" Pinkie said.

Everyone turned to stare at the party girl who had suddenly appeared in Tyr's lap. Tyr himself didn't look too surprised. "Morning, Pinkie," He said.

"Howdy Tyr!" She giggled and hopped off his lap. "Morning everybody!"

"Um… morning Pinkie," Shining said. "You always this hyper in the morning?"

"Pinkie-winkle is always like this," Rarity said, coming out. Tyr was not surprised to see her already dressed up, hair and all.

"Morning Rarity." Tyr said.

"Good to see you, Tyr." She glanced over where she could see Rainbow and Ace talking. The latter of the pair didn't seem too happy. "…Seems she's done it again," She said with a sigh.

"Done what again?"

"Rainbow had a nasty habit of jumping into relationships," Rarity said. "She was… pardon my pun… too fast. She doesn't think about the other person."

"Seems Ace is finding that out now," Night said, no trace of humor in his voice. It was true, their friend seemed to be becoming increasingly distressed.

"Poor bastard," Flash murmured.

"I thought she was into girls?" Tyr asked. Flash and Night looked at him with shock.

"She changes sexual preference to suit her," Rarity said with a sigh.

Ace stormed back in. "Well, at least I know what it feels like to have my emotions played with."

"I didn't mean for you to take it that way!" Dash followed him in. "Look, it was kinda a spur of the moment thing, and I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"So it doesn't matter to you how I feel?"

Dash scratched at her head. "Well… to be honest, I thought it was just going to be a one night thing."

"I didn't!"

"Well you always seemed like a pretty shallow guy, so I thought you weren't looking for a serious relationship or something!" Dash frowned.

"Well, as you can see, I am looking for that sort of relationship. To be perfectly honest, I feel insulted that you'd think it'd be fine to just have a one-night stand."

"Seems something has happened," Celestia's voice murmured. Tyr looked over to see her leaned against the corner, watching quietly.

Dash threw her hands up into the air, and flapped her wings irritably. "Forget it. This is pointless."

"It doesn't bother you that you just played with the heart of a guy that genuinely likes you?" Ace fumed.

Dash shrugged. "You're the one who expected more…"

"How dare you—"

"That's enough," Celestia said softly. Her voice was just loud enough to be heard. "Both of you, stop. It seems you have both made a mistake."

"This isn't the time or the place to have this conversation darling, especially not in public like this." Rarity nodded in agreement.

Ace sighed. For once, Tyr saw his friend genuinely sad. "Right. Sorry everyone."

"Yeah," Dash added halfheartedly. "I'm gonna go see if AJ and Shy are done with breakfast."

As she left, Ace sat down heavily in a chair. "Sorry man," Flash murmured.

Pinkie frowned, unable to fully understand what was going on. "Hey, Ace, cheer up…"

"I'll be fine," Ace said with a smile Tyr could tell was forced.

"You don't look fine…"

"Daddy…" Sherry called, coming down the hallway. She was rubbing her eyes and almost bumped into Celestia. "…Sorry Princess…"

Celestia chuckled softly. "It's quite all right, little one."

Sherry wandered over to her father and climbed into his lap. She put a brush in his hand. "Please?"

He smiled. "Sure love." He began to brush her hair out.

"That must feel good," Rarity noted.

"She asks me to do this every now and then," Tyr said. "To tell the truth, I don't mind."

To her credit, Sherry seemed to be enjoying the attention too. "If only I could do anything with Pinkie's hair," Rarity sighed. "That pink mane of hers in untamable."

Pinkie giggled. "Rarity's already broken two combs in my hair," She said.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "That's… pretty impressive."

"Hey y'all," AJ peeked out of the kitchen. "If y'all want breakfast, come and get it."

"That sounds good," Rarity said, heading over to the kitchen. Pinkie bounced after her.

"I'll bring y'all some," AJ said, nodding to Tyr.

"Thanks AJ," He said, continuing to brush Sherry's hair. As the others left the room, Luna came out from the hallway. "Moony, you feeling better?"

Luna nodded and sat beside him. "Twilight gave me some medicine to settle my stomach. I'm feeling much better now."

"Luna was sick?" Sherry murmured.

"Yeah, but you were probably still asleep," Tyr chuckled. He deftly brushed Sherry's hair into a ponytail. "There we go. All done."

"Thanks daddy."

"Of course love."

AJ came out of the kitchen with a couple plates full of food. "Here y'all go. I managed to grab you some before Rainbow and Pinkie ate all of it."

"Thanks again, AJ."

"It's no problem, sugarcube. Enjoy!"

Tyr handed one plate to Sherry, and set the other in Luna's lap. "Tyr…?" She asked.

"We can share." He said, smiling. "You might want to get something in your stomach."

"You are most likely correct. Thank you."

"Of course, Moony."

Luna blushed. "I do not think I have ever been as embarrassed with a nickname since Tia started calling me Lulu."

"I think it's cute," Cadance said, appearing suddenly.

Luna blushed. "Of course you do," She muttered.

Cadance giggled. "So, where is everyone?"

"Eating breakfast," Tyr said, popping a slice of apple in his mouth.

"Ah, that sounds good right about now…"

Celestia came out of the kitchen, a slim white phone held up to her ear. "Mmhm. Yes, I can be there. You want my sister to come along as well? …I see. Very well, I shall alert my guards."

"Is something the matter, Big Sister?" Luna asked as Celestia hung up her cell.

"It seems a major politician is requesting our presence at a… dinner," Celestia explained. "It is more than likely due to the upcoming political vote that is happening. "

"So he's trying to curry favor for when the Equestrians get to vote." Tyr said.

"I would not be surprised. A lot of people started asking for my help when they found out I have a large group of weather-controlling girls at my beck and call." She chuckled softly. "But then again, at least 45% of the population of the area is Equestrian now."

"That's… actually a pretty big number," Tyr said thoughtfully.

"It is, isn't it?" She smiled. "Well, the dinner is late tonight, but we should probably head home."

"Aw, I wanna stay longer," Sherry pouted.

"You can always come by again," Cadance said. "Shining and I don't mind at all."

"I'd hate to overstay our welcome," Tyr said.

"It's no big deal, honest!" Cadance grinned. "Plus… Sherry said you were good at CoD."

"…Is that a challenge?"

"You bet your sweet behind it is."

Tyr grinned. He hadn't expected the Princess of Love to be a gamer, but it was a pleasant surprise. "I'll send you my gamer tag. We'll play sometime."

"Yeah, that'll be fun! It gets boring beating Shining in everything anyway."

-x-

"Alright you two, be good while we're gone, okay?" Tyr and Luna were outside his house, getting ready to leave. They had made it home with decent time, and they were just now leaving the house for the political dinner. Luna had dressed up, while Tyr was in his uniform. Chrys and Sherry were bidding them goodbye from the front door.

"We'll be good," Chrys said, rolling her eyes.

"Considering the nature of the meeting, we may be home late," Luna said thoughtfully.

"I'll make sure she goes to bed on time."

Tyr grinned. "Good."

Sherry rolled her eyes. "You guys just be safe, okay?"

"It's just a simple dinner," Tyr assured her with a comforting pat. "It shouldn't be anything too serious."

"I hope so…" Chrys murmured. She sighed. "Have fun."

Tyr helped Luna get in before jumping into the driver's seat. "We'll try," Tyr said with a laugh. With a last wave, the two of them drove off.

Chrys frowned as they vanished out of sight. Sherry noticed, and looked up at her. "Something wrong, Chrys?"

"No…" Chrys said slowly. "But I have the odd feeling that tonight will not end on a good note."

Tyr was having the exact same thought as he pulled up a short distance away from the restaurant where Celestia was having the dinner. Unlike the first meeting they went to, Tyr was on alert instead of being part of it. And for some reason, there was a massive crowd outside. "What in the night…" Luna murmured.

"News reporters," Tyr said with a sigh. "I should have guessed."

They got out, and almost immediately, they were mobbed. Obviously, someone had revealed that Luna was coming to this meeting, and every news reporter was asking a myriad of questions.

"Is it true that Equestria had four princesses?"

"Is it true you were banished at one point?"

"Do all Equestrians have wings?"

"What are your thoughts on Human-Equestrian relations?"

"Why didn't you arrive with your sister?"

Tyr forced his way through the crowd, keeping Luna close beside him. She was caught off guard by all the flashing lights and the barrage of questions, and it was just enough for her to keep up. Tyr wasn't surprised. From where she was from, news reporters probably didn't ever swarm her like this. With this kind of attention, it was no shock to him that she was confused, like a deer in the headlights. Tyr pulled her into the restaurant, shutting the door firmly behind them. He let out a sigh. "I hate reporters."

"I have… never dealt with anything like that," Luna murmured, still recovering. "Thank you, Tyr."

"It's his job," Flash said, coming over. He had a wide grin on his face. "Nice to see you escaped the horde outside."

"Would have warranted a warning," Tyr said, frowning. He glanced over at his princess. She was recovering quickly, straightening out her clothing. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine. Now, Flash Sentry, take me to where my sister is."

Flash bowed slightly. "Very well, Princess. Tyr, you mind watching the doors?"

Tyr nodded. "Got it."

"This is all ridiculous, isn't it?" Flash muttered, glancing outside.

"No kidding…"

Tyr took his position near the door while Flash escorted Luna to where Celestia was sitting with a long table of dignitaries, the mayor of the town, and the governor. Celestia noticed her sister's arrival, and motioned to the empty seat beside her. As Luna sat down, the mayor turned to Celestia. "So this is your sister?" He asked.

"Yes, Mayor Trent." Celestia smiled. "I would like you all to meet Luna, my younger sister."

A small chorus of greeting came, and Luna nodded in reply. "So that story about you two ruling jointly…?"

"Is true. I know it may seem strange to you, it was a system we both agreed on."

"Makes me wonder if we could get a system like that to work here," An older looking man murmured, laughing at his own joke.

"Well, if it worked for us…" Celestia laughed quietly. "Although we had the system for a long time, Governor Ortega."

The Governor laughed. "Well, tradition has its uses."

"So," Mayor Trent said, "Let us get to the main point. What exactly do you want for your people?"

"I suppose that is the real question, is it not?" Celestia frowned and looked like she was considering the question. Luna knew that it was a fake gesture; Tia knew good and well what she wanted to say. She only paused like that when she was messing with her audience.

"I suppose it would be something like citizenship for the Equestrians," Ortega murmured.

"Ah, that is something I considered," Celestia said with a smile. "I would be remiss if my ponies… er, people were not treated fairly because of something I could have easily addressed."

"It is a simple matter," Ortega agreed. "One that I can rectify in a matter of hours."

"I would be very grateful for that." Celestia's smile never wavered as a small squad of waiters arrived. They swiftly took their orders before vanishing back into the wings. "Also, there is another matter I would like to address."

"And what is that?"

Celestia's demeanor changed almost instantly, her magenta eyes hardening in the space of a moment. "I would like to talk about the attacks that have occurred against Equestrians and have gone unpunished."

There was silence at the table. "You do know of the attacks that have been plaguing our people," Luna pointed out.

"Of course we know," Trent said. "It is on the news quite often."

"But that is just it. We have not heard of any attempts being made to find the offenders." Luna frowned. "The protection of our subjects is mine and my sister's responsibilities. We would be remiss if we ignored their plight."

"All efforts are being made—"

"But that is the problem in its entirety, Mr. Mayor," Celestia said softly. "As far as I am aware, the absolute minimum is being done to arrest my little one's antagonists."

"…I understand. We will increase our efforts."

"That is good news. I would hate for anything further to happen."

"Anything further?" Ortega said questioningly.

Luna frowned as their waiters came out with their food. She and Celestia had ordered large house salads, while the other men and women around the table had ordered steaks and other meat related dishes. She felt her stomach turn slightly, but a comforting hand on her arm from her sister convinced her to hold it down. "Despite our propensity to peace and togetherness," Celestia was saying, "We place great emphasis on protecting those we care about."

"What do you mean?" Trent asked, mouth full of steak.

"Entire communities would often come together in times of great crisis," Luna said, frowning. "Whenever one was threatened, no one would hesitate to help them."

"So if these attacks continue…"

"You will have more problems than just burying Equestrians. Before long, you may have humans to bury as well."

Ortega narrowed his eyes. "…Is that a threat?"

"I make no threats," Luna assured him, sticking a forkful of salad into her mouth. It was quite good, although she felt Tyr made better. "Only promises. We will never strike out in anger, but we will not hesitate to protect those we care about."

Trent managed a weak chuckle. He was clearly unused to dealing with people with such surety in their hearts, and Luna's declaration had obviously shaken him. "Well, we should all work together to solve this problem, correct?"

"That is all we wanted in the first place," Celestia assured him, her smile returning. "Now, let us move on to… happier topics, shall we?"

As the conversation at the table switched topics, a conversation started up at the door. Ace had gone over to join Tyr by the door. "Hey man," He murmured.

"Yo, Ace," Tyr said in response. Neither of them said anything for a minute, both content to stay silent and listen to the talks happening at the table. Whereas Celestia was somewhat animated and engaging, Luna was keeping quiet, only speaking when she felt it necessary. But when she spoke, she commanded attention. It was a scene that brought a smile to Tyr's face. She had changed a lot since they had first met, going from that quiet and reserved midnight mystery to a princess in all but station.

"You really are in love, huh?" Ace asked suddenly.

"What?" Tyr glanced over to him.

"You love Luna, don't you?"

"Well… yeah. I do. I love her a lot."

Ace smiled. "Lucky."

"Still bothered by what happened with Rainbow Dash?"

"…Yeah. Can you blame me?" He sighed. "I dunno if I could say I loved her, but I damn sure was close to it."

"I understand. I used to have a girl that was like that for me."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "You actually had a girl before the Princess?"

"It didn't last long, really. About a month or so to be honest. She wasn't who I thought she was."

"Celestia. That must have been rough."

Tyr shrugged. "Life goes on, right? And I have Luna now, so I'm probably the happiest man on the planet."

"Way to rub it in, bro."

"Sorry. So you're giving up on Dash?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Flash and Night say I should but… what do you think?"

"…You had one night with her, right?"

"Yeah."

Tyr thought for a moment. "I say keep up with it. Keep trying to get her to look at you in that way. If you still feel something for her, that is."

Ace smiled, a bit more of his usual pep returning. "You know what? You're a good friend, Tyr. I appreciate you listening to me spout all my crap."

"I'm pretty sure I can think of one person who doesn't think love is crap," Tyr said with a slight laugh.

"I think I can guess who you mean."

Ace turned his attention back to the dinner. Luna had apparently said something that made the humans at the table stop eating. A couple were even pushing their plates away as if they were finished. Tyr wasn't surprised. Sherry had explained to him a long time ago that eating meat was almost like cannibalism to Equestrians, due to their former status as ponies. He had avoided eating meat around any of his friends because for most, it still induced a bit of queasiness, despite it not upsetting their stomachs like it would have in their previous bodies. Luna had probably just pointed that out. "Seems not everything is okay over there."

Luna caught Tyr's eyes on her and gave him a small smile. He waved back in response. "Lovebirds," Ace chuckled.

"Oh, shut up."

The meeting lasted at least an hour more, with several promises of action to be taken being made. Celestia, for the most part, seemed satisfied. "Tyr, Ace, come here please," She called softly.

"Duty calls," Ace said. The two made their way over. Ace coughed slightly and switched to a more professional demeanor. Tyr had to give it to him; Ace knew how to act when he was on the job. "Did you need something, Princess?"

"The meeting is over and it is quite late." She spared a glance out to the outside of the restaurant. The reporters were still there, having been spurred to action by the sight of them all beginning to stand up. "I believe we've kept the masses waiting long enough."

"Ugh, I can't stand reporters," Ortega murmured.

"Will you two bring the cars around?" Celestia asked.

"Of course, Princess," Ace said, bowing slightly. Tyr simply nodded.

"He seems very loyal," Trent said thoughtfully.

Celestia nodded. "Ace Guard has served me faithfully for quite some time. One of these days I will have to reward him."

Ace scratched at the back of his head. "You don't have to do that, Princess, I'm happy to serve."

Celestia's face broke out into a wide smile. "So modest."

"…Come on Tyr, let's go." Ace led Tyr to the door.

"Seems you're a favorite of the Princess," Tyr said, elbowing his friend.

"My dad used to serve her as well," Ace said. "It kinda runs in the family."

"I doubt Tia is giving you favor just cause your dad used to protect her."

"Tia?"

"Sorry. Being around Luna…"

"Nah, I get it." They reached the doors. "Ready to face the mob?"

"I'm pretty sure they're here for the two beautiful princesses, not their bodyguards." Tyr pushed open the doors. As if giving credence to his statement, the mob of reporters seemed disappointed to see them. "See?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're parked over that way."

"Well, we're the other way. I'll pull in behind you."

"Right on, then."

They moved through the crowd, a few reporters attempting to get some kind of response from them. Ace broke away to one side, while Tyr tried to beeline towards his truck. Walking through the crowd was what could only be described as trying to walk through molasses. They were pressing around him, even more so now that he wasn't escorting Luna. "I'd have been better off bringing her with me," He grumbled to himself. He bumped into a man as he avoided an overeager cameraman. "Sorry."

The man only responded with two words. "…Freak-Lover."

Tyr barely had time to register the term before a glint of steel slipped out of the folds of the man's coat to bury itself in his gut. Before his body fully recognized the pain, the knife slipped back out and the man pushed off into the crowd. "Damn," Tyr managed to murmur as he staggered to his knees. He hadn't seen it coming.

Luna saw the crowd outside suddenly go wild with panic. "…what is going on out there?" She asked quietly.

"Maybe they're getting impatient," Celestia said with a chuckle.

"Or maybe perhaps Ace or Tyr hit someone," Luna said. She smiled. "I would not be surprised if my demon has…" She trailed off as the crowd began to part.

"Is that…?" Trent murmured, squinting from behind his glasses.

"Tyr," Luna breathed, seeing her lover knelt amongst the crowd, hands clasped to his stomach. Her voice was no louder than a choked whisper. "What…?"

"What's going on?" Celestia came over to stand beside her sister. She paused when she saw the scene before them. "What… what happened?"

Luna felt her heart lurch up to her throat. Tyr was kneeling in a growing pool of blood. As she stood there, frozen in terror, she could only watch as the man she loved swayed to the side and then collapsed to the ground. "T-Tyr…?"

Celestia glanced worriedly over at her sister. "Luna, wait a moment—"

"TYR!" Luna screamed, wings bursting wide open as she propelled herself to the doors. The crowd outside started to turn to her, but a single roar from her parted them. "STAND ASIDE!"

They did, giving the princess a straight beeline to her beloved. She fell to her knees just short of him. She pulled him into her arms, ignoring the blood that was getting on her from his weeping stomach wound. He coughed up blood. "…Hey, Moony," He managed to weakly say.

"Beloved…! What happened?"

"Can't… really say. I think I've got blood going into my lungs." He spit up more blood. "Guess I… Ugh… couldn't sense it coming since you weren't in any danger…"

"Tyr! Please, beloved, don't speak, save your strength…" She pressed her hands to his wound, hoping to staunch the flow.

"I… screwed up, Luna…"

Luna watched, horrified, as blood leaked from between her fingers. "Tyr? Tyr please, don't do this!"

Tyr didn't respond, instead coughing up more blood directly on her. His eyes lidded over. "S…Sorry…"

"No! Beloved, don't leave me, please! Don't!" Luna's pleading was becoming more and more desperate as Tyr's eyes slowly closed. She looked up and around the crowd. "Why has no one called for help!? What are you doing!?" She crushed her head against his, sobbing wildly. "I can't! I can't lose him, not now!"

"He got what he deserved, the freak-lover."

Luna looked up at the voice, lines running down her face from her tears. The man who had done it stood before her, bloody knife still held in his hand. "…w-what? Why would you do this?"

"Because freaks like you don't belong in our world."

The words touched Luna in a way no one could have known. Her eyes blanked as something deep inside her snapped. "Don't belong?" She murmured softly. "I believe you have no right to decide that."

She stood, wings pulled around her as if to protect her from the elements. Her eyes glowed an unnatural dark blue, and a moon emblem burned into life on the back of her right hand. The knife wielder backed up a step as magical energy surrounded the Princess of the Night. Celestia watched, horrified, from the doorway. "This can't be possible!"

"She's using magic," Flash said, gritting his teeth.

"I know," Celestia murmured, glancing down at her right hand. A golden sun had appeared there. "And because of that, I'm scared."

Luna began to moan. It was low, like a lament of the damned. Then, it began to build in power, before she was crying out to the night sky, magical energy swirling about like a typhoon. The people around her scattered, seeking cover. The murderer stood before for her, fear written on his every feature. "You seek to ruin everything I hold dear!" Luna roared, voice carrying.

Now realizing what he had awoken, the man threw down his knife and fell to his knees. Celestia came outside. "Luna! Have mercy on the man, he is simply misguided!"

Luna turned slightly. Her pupil-less eyes seemed to regard her impassively. "Mercy? No, dear sister. These people wish to steal the light from my life. Therefore…" She extended her wings. "…I will drown them in the darkness they wish me to feel."

Her aura engulfed the man, dark energy swirling up around his head. When it receded, his eyes were as black as night. "W-what? I can't… I can't see!?"

Celestia felt her own magic rise to her aid, her hands glowing a gentle golden color. "My poor little sister…"

Luna smiled, black lines dripping from her eyes. "Tyr was my everything. I could endure everything as long as he was there. Without him… I am lost in the dark."

Luna's magic began to surge again, and Celestia knew there was no more talking to her. She felt Flash and Night come to her side. "What do we do, Princess?" Flash asked.

"Can we stop her?" Night asked.

Celestia thought for a moment. The last time her sister had fallen to the darkness, she had been motivated by jealousy. "…No. Unicorn and Alicorn magic is tied to our emotions. Luna is currently feeling one of the strongest emotions save love: Despair. With my magic, I may be able to hold her, but…"

"What should we do?"

"Go. Get Twilight and the other Elements."

"What?" Flash frowned. "They don't have the Elements of Harmony anymore, what can they do?"

"They may not have the Elements, but they still _are_ the Elements of Harmony. Together, they can help us save my sister from herself once more!"

The two guards shared a look. "We will not fail you, Princess," Night said.

"But what will you do?" Flash asked.

Celestia reached down and tore off the lower half of her dress. Despite themselves, Night and Flash blushed. She smiled back at them. "I believe I'll do what only an older sister can do for her little sister."

Opening her wings, she strode down towards Luna. The Princess of the Night turned, all emotion drained from her features. She was lost inside of herself, and Celestia could tell that no amount of talking would get through to her. "We'll go at once!" Flash said, and he and Night ran off. With that part of her plan in motion, Celestia channeled as much of her magical energy into her hands. It was a lot different than focusing it into a horn, but it was the same principle. As the golden glow about her grew, she faced down the darkness coming from her sister. For the first time in over a thousand years, the two sisters faced each other in battle.

"Come, Luna," Celestia said gently, though her eyes were hard. "Come cry on your big sister Tia's shoulder."

-x-

"Spike," Twilight called from her kitchen. "I made some tea. Do you want some?"

"Nah, I'm cool," Spike said, continuing to read his comic books. "Hey, you think we should have invited Sherry over while her dad was out?"

"She's got Chrysalis to watch out for her, right? She'll be okay." Twilight entered the living room with a cup of steaming hot tea. She set it down on the coffee table and sat down in a chair across from her surrogate son before turning to the TV.

"If you say so. I'm surprised you trust her after everything that happened."

"Well, Friendship is Magic…"

"I guess."

"Anything good on?"

"I know you're going to turn to the news anyway, so I'll just say no."

Twilight rolled her eyes, but grabbed the remote and changed the channel to the news. Almost as soon as she had done so, her front door burst open. "What!?"

Pinkie was the first inside, followed by Ace, and then the rest of her friends came piling in. Night and Flash came in a minute later. "Hiya Twilight!" Pinkie said cheerily.

"What…what in Celestia's name are you all doing here?" Twilight asked, confused.

Ace, out of breath after flying so much, gestured to Pinkie. The Element of Laughter took one deep breath. "So Ace came crashing into my house about ten minutes ago saying Princess Celestia needed the Elements to stop her sister from going all crazy evil again and it took him a long time just to explain it to me so that I could understand and then I had to explain it to AJ and the Fluttershy and then Rare-bear and then Dashie and now you!" She grinned widely.

"…Huh?"

"Celestia needs us, darling," Rarity said. "Flash said Tyr was hurt."

"And that Luna has gone all crazy like cause of it," AJ added.

Twilight frowned. "But we dispelled Nightmare Moon…"

Spike sat up straight. "Wait a sec, go back. You said Tyr got hurt?"

Silence fell. Not even Pinkie seemed energetic anymore. Flash stepped forward to talk to his girlfriend. "Twi… if we don't go help Celestia now… Tyr might die."

Twilight's eyes widened. She jumped up. "But what are we supposed to do? We have no magic!"

She swept her hand off to the side to illustrate her frustration. With almost explosive force, her tea cup flew off the table and shattered against the wall. Everyone stared at it for a long moment. "Seems we do have magic, darling," Rarity pointed out slowly.

"So we can at least do something!" Dash said adamantly.

"…Alright. Where are we going?"

"Everybody in the van!" AJ said, running back outside. The others quickly followed, those with wings instead taking to the air. "Y'all can keep up, right?"

"I might be winded, but I'm not one to give up that easily," Ace said, flapping his pearly white wings once for emphasis.

"You heard the man," Dash said with an appreciative nod.

AJ nodded. "Then don't fall behind!"

She took off, putting pedal to the metal as the apple van tore down the streets. Twilight and the Pegasii following behind on their wings. "You can see it," AJ murmured, looking up in the sky. Gold and deep blue flashes lit up the otherwise dark night.

"With a full moon as a backdrop," Night muttered.

"We'll be there in a minute," AJ said through gritted teeth. "I reckon I'm not looking forward to facing down Nightmare Moon again."

"She's not Nightmare Moon," Flash said. "There's no evil in her, just… pain."

"I hope Tyr is alright," Rarity said. No one else spoke. The feeling was mutual between all of them.

They reached the area in record time. "Let it not be said you aren't a good driver," Night muttered as they piled out.

"Applejack is the best driver I know!" Pinkie said, giggling.

"By Celestia… Luna did all this…?" Twilight murmured as she, Dash, Fluttershy and Ace landed nearby. The area in front of the restaurant was pitted with shallow craters and scorched with magical burn marks. In the middle of it was Luna, standing protectively over Tyr. He was wrapped in some sort of magical field made of Luna's magic.

Celestia appeared then, pulling herself out of the rubble of a destroyed wall. "You called, Twilight?"

"Teacher!" Twilight and the others gaped at her appearance. The woman that was normally always radiant and beautiful was covered in grime and a number of myriad cuts and bruises. A wound on her forehead was bleeding profusely, but she still had that look of determination on her face. Even the soft smile she gave at seeing them all was the same. "What… what happened to you?"

Celestia gently touched her forehead. "Hm. It has been sometime since I have bled like this…"

"We should tend to those wounds!" Fluttershy squeaked, coming over. Celestia gently placed a hand on the shy girl's shoulder.

"Soon, little ones. I have to attend to my sister first."

Rarity looked over at Luna. Magical power still radiated from her. "I've never seen magic like that before…"

"Is Tyr still alive?" Pinkie asked, concern in her voice. "He's… he's not dead, is he? He can't be!"

"He's not," a quiet voice said. Everyone turned to find Chrys, her gossamer-like wings fluttering slightly as she landed. She dropped to her knees almost as soon as her feet touched the ground. "Ugh."

"What do you mean?" Dash demanded. "How the hell would you know?"

"Because if he's dead I wouldn't be here!" Chrys spat angrily. The outburst made her sway a bit, and she put her hands on the ground for stability. "Hellfire…"

"A Binding," Celestia murmured. "If Tyr dies, she dies as well."

"Right you are, Sun Princess. So I have actual stock in whether my best friend dies or not!"

"Calm yourself," Celestia warned.

"…Right. Sorry."

"So what do we do?" AJ asked.

"I know what we do," Dash growled, and shot off at Luna.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Twilight called, but she was too late. The rainbow haired hothead sped off towards Luna. She aimed a punch for her jaw, but Luna simply held up a hand. A tendril of dark magic grabbed Dash in midair, stopping her short.

"Oh horse-feathers," Dash managed to say before she was smashed into an abandoned car. She cried out in pain.

"Dashie!" Pinkie exclaimed. She made to move to her friend's aid, but Ace was faster. He shot past her, grabbed Dash, and flew her off to a safe spot. "Oh. Well, that's good."

"What are we going to do?" AJ frowned. "If Dash can't get close, how do you reckon any of us can?"

"If Princess Celestia's magic can't match her…" Rarity began.

"I have a plan," Chrys said. "For any of you willing to listen."

Celestia looked down at her. "And what is this plan?"

"You plan to trust a Changeling with your sister's wellbeing?" Night muttered, surprised.

"Like she said, Tyr is her lifeline. Without him, she would die." Celestia frowned. "This time, our desires are in the same place."

"I suppose that's fair," AJ muttered.

"So what are we supposed to _do_?" Rarity asked. "If we can't fight her…"

"She is fueled by despair, correct?" Chrys snapped. "I can taste it all the way over here."

"So what is your plan then?"

Chrys looked around. "…I need you all to distract her or restrain her so I can get close."

AJ frowned. "Get close and do what, exactly?"

"Just do it!" Chrys looked pained. "Tyr doesn't have much time! He needs medical attention now!"

"Luna is preserving his life, but even that has its limits," Celestia told them. "We must act quickly."

"S-so what should we do?" Fluttershy asked.

"I have an idea," Flash said. "AJ, Pinkie, grab Ace and Rainbow and distract her. Night and I will back you up, while Fluttershy gets anyone who's hurt out of the way. Twi, Rarity, Princess, can you work together to do a restraining spell?"

"I-I've never done a spell like that," Rarity said in protest.

"You only need to provide strength. You do that a lot with your dresses, right?"

"Well, that is true… but…"

"We can do this," Twilight said with a wide smile. "We can do anything as long as we work together."

"Right as always, my favored student," Celestia agreed.

"Oh, I just hope this doesn't end badly," Fluttershy squeaked.

"You and me both sugar," AJ murmured. "You and me both."

"Let's go, let's go!" Pinkie said, bouncing back and forth.

AJ sighed. "Let's get on with it then."

The group spread out, AJ and Pinkie running over to get Ace and Dash caught up on the plan, Night and Flash taking up positions across from each other, Fluttershy behind them, and Twilight, Celestia, and Rarity further back. "Let's do this," Twilight murmured as the three women put their hands together.

"Alright Rainbow!" AJ called out. "Do what you do best!"

"Fly circles around her?" Dash asked, sticking her chest out.

"I was gonna say 'piss her off', but that works too."

"Yeah, whatever. Come on Ace, let's fly circles around her!" The two Pegasii shot off towards Luna, avoiding several swipes of magical energy as she attempted to swat them away.

"Tag!" Pinkie said, touching Luna on the back of the head. She skipped away before she could get hit with anything.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my," Fluttershy murmured, watching her friends skirt danger. She was panicking so much that she didn't see the torn off car wheel hurled in her direction as it barely missed Pinkie Pie.

"Watch it!" Night hissed, pulling the frail girl aside. The tire clattered harmlessly past her.

"Oh goodness!"

"Shy, you alright?" AJ called, worried about her girlfriend. Luna took advantage of her distraction to smash the cowgirl aside like she was paper. She smashed into a wall and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Jackie!" Fluttershy screamed, breaking free of Night. She rushed over to where AJ was lying.

"Hurry up!" Chrys hissed, avoiding a blast of magical energy. Luna was becoming more and more indiscriminate, and at this rate, she may even accidentally hit Tyr…

"We're doing our best here!" Twilight exclaimed. Having gotten her magic back was wonderful, but she didn't have any practice feeling it like she used to. It was all she could do to follow Celestia's lead.

"Your friends won't last long at this rate," Chrys said, watching Luna easily dispatch of Dash. Ace was by her side in a flash, carrying her away.

"They're your friends too!" Twilight snapped back. The statement caught the Changeling off guard, and she simply sat there staring at Twilight.

"I can't!" Rarity cried out, suddenly breaking away and dropping to her knees. She was sweating profusely. "Oh, oh this is too much!"

"It's quite alright," Celestia said. Even she was straining under the pressure. "You have contributed enough. We can complete the spell now."

"Be ready!" Twilight said to Chrys. The Changeling forced herself to her feet and nodded.

Flash felt the ground hit him hard as he landed. Luna's magic was almost actively attacking anyone who came close, although the girl herself was still focused on Tyr. The back of his neck prickled, and he saw Celestia and Twilight readying their spell. "Everyone! Get clear!"

The ones still standing quickly scattered, moving out of the way. Celestia and Twilight clasped their hands together, golden and violet aura's mixing together. "Now, Twilight!" Celestia called.

Twilight nodded. "Yes!"

The two of them focused their magic forward into one large blast, catching the distracted Luna and wrapping around her limbs like cuffs. "What…?" She muttered, falling to the ground. "Let me go!"

Chrys opened her gossamer wings and used what little strength she had to propel herself to Luna's side. She caught the smaller girl in an awkward hug. "You've done quite a bit of damage, haven't you?" She asked quietly.

"Release me! I have to protect Tyr…!"

"You've done enough." Chrys held Luna out at arm's length. "Now, open up."

Her right hand latched on to Luna's forehead, and a vivid green glow enveloped them both. Then suddenly, the dark aura around Luna was drawn away, almost literally pulled off of her and absorbed into the green. A soundless scream left Luna's mouth, and Chrys grinned wildly. After a long agonizing minute, Chrys released her, and the Princess of the Night collapsed, unconscious. "What did you…" Night began, but Chrys shot him a dirty look before moving to Tyr's side. Without saying a word, she leaned over a bit into his neck.

"What the heck are you doing!?" Twilight demanded.

"Saving his life!" Chrys shot back vehemently. "I have done what I can to stabilize him, but he needs proper care!" She glanced around. "…As do all the others."

"I already called 911!" Pinkie said excitedly, as a number of cop cars and ambulances began driving up.

"We should get your wounds looked at as well, Princess," Flash said, limping over. Celestia put a hand on his shoulder.

"Only when everyone else has been seen to." She smiled. "Worry about yourself first, alright?"

"…Right."

"Oh, damnation!" Chrys suddenly cursed. "Sherry is back at home!"

-x-

* * *

 **As always, hope you enjoyed the chapter. For those of you who are curious, in my continuity, Changeling saliva (when injected into the bloodstream or ingested) functions as a sort of medicine. I'd like to think it keeps blood from flowing through open wounds and redirects it... somewhere else. Its a wonder drug. ^_^**

 **Hope you look forward to the next chapter, and this time I'll make sure the Library wakes up on time. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 17: Thicker than Water

**Apologies to those following my story and wondering where my usual post was. was out of town for the weekend and just got back in today. The Library was a bit late this time around, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. ^_^**

* * *

Chapter 17: Thicker than Water, Truer than Fiction

It was dark. Not like a normal darkness, where it is comforting. No, this darkness was thick, and wrapped around Luna like some kind of living thing. It was oppressive, and choking. It was as if something had a tight grip on her throat and was trying to strangle her to death. She could only mutter one word.

"Tyr…!"

The shadows coalesced around her, rapidly transforming into a form she could understand. A pale skinned woman with midnight black hair and piercing cerulean eyes stared at her, an inhuman grin on her face. She was terrifyingly beautiful, even horrifyingly so. She didn't speak, instead keeping those cold, almost threatening eyes boring into Luna's. She screamed, but no sound came out now, a deathly silence punctuating the suffocating dark. The darkness that was around her. The darkness that _was_ her. The woman in front of her didn't need to tell her who she was, for Luna was her. They were one and the same, another half to a whole. Luna's voice returned, as if to only give a name to the figure before her.

"…Nightmare Moon…"

The pale woman's grin grew even wider. "I'm so glad you remember me," She almost hissed.

"Why…?"

"You wanted to save that man, did you not?" Nightmare Moon sighed. "I don't know what you see in him."

"I love him!"

"Yes, yes, well, I simply lent a hand."

"You… you were banished…"

"We are one and the same, _Princess Luna_." Nightmare Moon's lips curled back up into a smile. "I am always here."

"No!" Luna screamed, leaping up in her bed. Cold sweat dripped across her skin, and her breathing was ragged.

"…Sorry, I guess I can't have your mini-cake," Celestia said, staring at her sister with a forkful of cake halfway to her mouth. Luna stared at her for a long moment, then looked around. She and her sister were in a brightly lit hospital room, and she was in a bed. She glanced down at the hospital shift she was in.

"…I'm… In the hospital?"

Celestia nodded, putting the small cake back on the nightstand. Luna looked over to find several balloons and a box with a small cake in it. "The Cakes sent it," Celestia explained. "When they heard you were hurt…"

"Hurt…?" Luna felt memories of that night come rushing back to her. "Tyr!"

Celestia put a restraining hand on her sister's shoulder as she attempted to jump up. "Slow down, Lulu. Tyr yet lives."

"He does?" Lune felt like a weight had been pulled off her shoulders. "Oh, thank goodness…"

"Yes, quite."

Luna glanced over at her sister, who was still eyeing the cake. "…You can have some," She offered.

"Oh! If you're offering…" Almost instantly, Celestia was happily munching away on some cake. Luna thought about enjoying it too, but she wasn't in the mood for anything sweet. As she was watching Celestia slowly devour the cake, a doctor in a white lab coat came walking in, clipboard under one arm. "Ah, Miss Luna. You're awake."

"…Awake? How long was I out?"

The doctor checked his charts. "…It has been two days since the incident."

Luna felt her heart sink. "I was unconscious for two days?"

Celestia nodded, delicately wiping her mouth. "After we… subdued you, we all came here."

"Everyone…"

"You did do quite a number on them, Princess," the doctor said. Luna then noticed the man's tail that was barely visible under his coat.

"You're… Equestrian."

"Mmhm. Princess Celestia asked for me to oversee all the care you and your friends are getting. You're in good hands."

"What about Tyr?" Luna asked. "Is okay?"

"Tyr… Tyr Hymir, correct?" He flipped through the papers on his clipboard. "Ah. He's… stable, but still needs intensive care. What he really needs is a blood transfusion."

"Take mine!" Luna tried to get up, but Celestia put a strong hand on her shoulder and kept her down. "Tia…!"

"We already tested your blood," The doctor said. "Your blood type isn't a match."

"Not… a match?" Luna looked confused.

"It means that if you gave him blood, he would have a negative reaction and it might kill him," Celestia said softly.

"Oh… oh no…" Luna's face fell.

Celestia turned to the doctor. "I know you tested me as well, but have you tried any of the others?"

"Well…" The doctor began, but was cut off by a tall nurse with red-gold hair. She whispered something into his ear. He nodded as she left quickly. "It seems we have a match, and a willing donor."

"Who!?" Luna demanded.

"Hiya guys!" Pinkie said with her usual giggle as Luna, Celestia, and the doctor entered the room. A group of nurses were just finishing drawing blood from her.

"Pinkie Pie?" Luna said, incredulously.

"I know, that's what I thought," Rarity said from her chair beside Pinkie.

"I mean, only AJ and I had the matching blood type, right?" Pinkie asked. "And AJ is still hurt. I wanted to feel like I was doing something helpful."

"Aw, that's my Pinkie-winkle," Rarity cooed, reaching out to caress Pinkie's face.

"Speaking of the others…" Luna murmured. "Where are they?"

"AJ and Dash were in a room together," Rarity said. "I believe the others are in there."

"I should go talk to them," Luna said. "…I have… to apologize for my behavior."

"Apologize?" Pinkie frowned. "But you were scared Tyr was going to die, right?"

"Darling, no one is upset with you," Rarity agreed. "We were worried for Tyr—and you."

"But…" Luna started, but Celestia simply put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come," She said. "Let us go speak to them. I think they'll be happy to see you."

Luna didn't say anything, instead letting her sister lead her out of the room. They walked down the halls together, neither of them speaking. Luna stole little glances up at Celestia, wondering inwardly at how her sister could stay so calm, even after everything that has happened. And here she was, dealing with inward turmoil. And she wasn't even sure how her beloved Tyr was doing.

"Worried?"

Celestia's voice was soft and gentle. Luna stared down at her feet. "…Yes."

"About Tyr?"

"About myself." Luna hugged herself. "There is a darkness inside of me that has never let go, and I can feel it creeping along my bones as it tries to take over. I do not want to lose control again, to… give in."

"You won't," Celestia assured her. "Even when you fought against us, you never tried to kill any of us. Part of you was still aware then, and you didn't give in. "You are much stronger than you were all that time ago. Do not doubt yourself."

"I… yes, sister."

"Besides, you don't want to disappoint Tyr, do you?"

"No!" Luna said quickly. When Celestia laughed softly, she blushed. "…You tease."

"I am your big sister," Celestia reminded her, pulling her close with one wing. "And I love you dearly."

Luna smiled, moving closer to her sister. "I love you too, big sister."

They walked together like that for a while, before they could hear Rainbow Dash's voice. As the entered, they found everyone else in the room sitting around Dash and AJ's beds. "Princess!" Twilight said as the two entered. "I'm so glad you two are okay!"

"Yeah," AJ agreed. She had a bandage around her forehead, and her arm was in a sling. However, none of her brightness had gone away.

"Nice to see you're back to normal," Dash said, looking over at Luna.

"Yes…" Luna murmured. "I wanted to apologize to you all—

"No thanks necessary!" Dash said, cutting her off. "Anytime you need us to knock some sense into ya, we'll be there!"

Ace sighed. "What kind of way is that to speak to a Princess?"

"Hey, she doesn't mind, right?" Dash glanced over at Luna, but her face fell when she saw anger on the Princess of the Night's face. "Uh…"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "If Tyr were awake, I would have him execute you."

The room fell deathly silent. Even Celestia seemed shocked. Dash gulped. "Y-you… are you serious?"

Luna held her hard gaze for a long moment, before breaking out into a wide grin. "Gotcha." She giggled.

Everyone stared at her in shock, before joining in with their own laughter. Only Dash seemed to not find it funny. "Jeez, Princess! I thought you were serious!"

"No, I appreciate what you all did for me." Luna smiled. "Thank you for being my friends, all of you."

"Oh, it's no problem, really," Flash said. "We want to be your friends.

Luna glanced around. "Speaking of friends… Where is little Sherry?"

"Here," Fluttershy said softly, motioning to the sleeping girl in her lap. Luna went over to her and gently touched the girl's cheek. "She was asleep when I went to go get her, and I didn't want to wake her."

"She must have really been tired," Celestia murmured.

"Well, I think only Shy could have managed to get her without waking her," AJ pointed out.

Luna frowned. "Wait. Where is Chrys?"

"Chrysalis?" Twilight frowned. "I… haven't seen her…"

"Oh, I remember!" Ace said. "She was trying to go in the room with Tyr, but they wouldn't let her."

"I remember now," AJ said, nodding. "The policemen who came pulled her away, and I haven't seen her since."

"Doctor," Luna said, seeing him enter. "Where is our other friend?"

"Who?" the doctor frowned.

"She was almost as tall as my sister, with long greenish hair."

"Ah, I believe she is in a separate room, under guard. They said she was trying to bite some of the officers, so they had to restrain her."

"Restrain…?" Celestia frowned. "It has been two days. Why have I not been notified?"

The doctor frowned. "We… didn't know."

"Where is she?" Luna demanded.

"I'll take you to where they're keeping her." The doctor led the way out, Luna and Celestia following. They ended up traveling to a section of rooms down an older wing of the hospital. A pair of cops were stationed outside of one.

"Your business?" One of them demanded as they approached.

"Are you holding a girl in here?" Luna questioned, frowning.

"Uh yes. We are."

"Release her. At once."

The two cops shared a look. "We were told to not let anyone in. She attacked an officer on the way here…"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "I do not care what you were told. Let. Her. Out."

"…Alright." They stepped aside, most likely out of discretion as the person responsible for the destruction of an entire street stood in front of them. Luna pushed her way inside, Celestia following close behind. They both froze in the doorway. Chrys was curled up, shivering, in a corner. Her hair was frazzled, and she looked starved. She didn't even seem to react when the two princesses entered. The two officers at the door seemed shocked. "What? We put food in here for her to eat…"

"She can't eat normal," Celestia said softly, noting the untouched tray of hospital food. Even she was disturbed by the treatment of the Changeling girl. Even though she had once harbored a strong feeling of resentment towards her, she could only feel pity now. "It upsets her stomach, and she immediately vomits."

Luna didn't say a word, instead walking over and throwing her arms around the shaking girl. "I'm so sorry," she murmured. "They didn't know."

Chrys kept shivering, however it slowly began to cease. After a moment, she quietly pushed Luna away. "…Thank you. I thought I was going to slowly starve to death in here. They wouldn't even speak to me."

"You almost clawed out Darren's eye!" One cop said, only to be shut up by a sharp look from Luna.

"They wouldn't let me stay beside Tyr," Chrys said, standing. She was still a little shaky, but grabbed a bar on the wall to steady herself. "No matter how I pleaded."

"We didn't think you would end up like this…" the doctor murmured from the doorway.

"Where is Tyr?" Luna said.

The doctor frowned. "…I'll take you to him."

They walked in silence, most of the nurses and other hospital personnel getting out of the way as they walked. Not too surprising, as With Celestia's authoritative presence, Luna's quiet fury, and Chrysalis's distrustful eyes darting from face to face. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a hospital door. "This is his room?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, but he is still unconscious. Try not to disturb him."

"Very well."

They opened the door, and Luna's heart seized up. Tyr was hooked up to several machines, all either monitoring his heart rate or keeping track of other vital signs. A clear bag of some kind of medicine was running through a tube connected to his arm. Other than that, he was peaceful and serene. Chrys detached from Luna and went to Tyr's side. She knelt beside his bed and rested her head on his chest. She let out a contented sigh. "I feel a lot better," She murmured.

"I would like to request that she stay in here for the time being," Celestia said, turning to the doctor. "She has a… connection with Tyr that she needs to survive."

"I won't question it," the doctor murmured. "Now, I have other patients to attend to…"

As they all went back into the hallway, Celestia's phone rang. "I should take this," She said.

"Very well," Luna said. "I will stay here."

"Alright. Call me if you need me." Celestia left, leaving Luna alone in the hallway. She sat in a nearby chair. Her beloved was alive, and that was cause to rejoice. But seeing him like that… Without his usual easy smile and his quick wit to cheer her up, she felt a lot more depressed than usual. She let out a heavy sigh.

"That was quite the sigh, Princess."

Luna looked up sharply to find Night Watch standing over her. She relaxed a bit as he smiled amiably. "Oh… Night Watch. You caught me off guard."

"Sorry. The others were getting kinda too silly for my tastes."

"Well, they are a fun loving group," Luna said.

Night watch shrugged. "So how are you doing?"

Luna glanced at Night. He was being friendly, but… "I'm okay, given the circumstances."

Night nodded. "I don't blame you. It was… a rough night."

"Yes, it was. I don't believe I have felt anything like that since…" She trailed off, unwilling to continue. To his credit, Night didn't try to press the issue. Instead, he put a comforting hand on her back.

"Don't worry. There are plenty of people who are here to support you."

"True."

"Like me. I'm willing to be here if you need me."

"That's very generous of you, Night. I truly appreciate your concern." She was beginning to feel a little strange, as Night's hand was doing small circles on her back. The whole hallway seemed eerily silent.

"…Princess."

Despite every fiber of her being telling her not to, she turned to look at him. Night's eyes met hers, a dark question in them. She stared back, and slowly began to shake her head even as he began to lean in. He was less than an inch away when she finally got the rest of her body to respond. "NO!"

The sound of the slap echoed down the hall. Luna pushed away from Night, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. The guard himself seemed a little surprised and angry. "What?" He said quietly. "Tyr may not even come back."

"You believe I would give up that easily, and go running to you?" She scowled. "You forget yourself, Night Watch!"

Night stood up slowly. Luna took a step back. "Do I? I'm willing to be anything you need me to be. Plus, I'm even the same _race_!"

"You think that matters? And I do not need you to be anything, for Tyr is already my _everything!_ "

She said that last line and turned sharply on her heel, leaving Night to watch her leave. He stood there, fuming quietly. He glanced over, seeing the room of the one who stole the woman of his dreams from him. Without thinking much about it, he walked in. Tyr was still there, sleeping or whatever the hell else he was doing in that hospital bed. He was helpless, so defenseless. To be perfectly honest, he could not understand what she saw in him. He was a decent guy, but so was he. The only thing Tyr had on him was height. As he stood there, silently, a thought occurred to him.

If he were to try killing Tyr, who would even be able to stop him?

Even before the thought even fully left his mind, a low growl came from a dark corner of the room. Before Night could even identify the sound, a dark green blur flung itself at him. He instinctively dodged aside, earning a long slash across his cheek. As he staggered back to the open door, he saw his attacker. Chrys was crouched menacingly a leap's distance away, hands curled into claws and a killing light in her eyes. She was out for blood. He ducked out of the room, hoping she wouldn't follow. No such luck, as she slammed into him just shy of breaking away. He struggled to keep her claws away from his neck, tossing her into a cart with a throw. He got up and made a break for it, knocking aside a few nurses as he did so. Chrys chased after, singular in her desire to end his life. He ran as fast as he could, but there was no out running her. She slammed into him again, smashing him down on his back. He raised his arms up to defend himself just as Chrys pinned him to the ground. "Chrysalis!" A stern voice called, but the Changeling did not stop. She raised one hand upwards, and slashed down—

"CHRYS!"

Chrys stopped just short of tearing a huge gouge in Night's arm. Luna was the one who had called her name, and she had just saved his life. "What is the meaning of this?" Celestia demanded, walking forward. Somehow, they had ended up just outside of the room AJ and Dash were sharing. All eyes were on them.

"I don't answer to you," Chrys snarled, not letting her eyes leave Night. All it would take is one swipe…

"Chrys," Luna said softly. "Let him up."

Chrys didn't budge for a moment. After a long moment of thought and inner indecision, she relented. She jumped up, backing up to where she could still see him and everyone in the room. "What is the meaning of this?" Celestia repeated, insistent on getting an answer.

Chrys frowned. "Not like you'd believe me."

"At least give us the benefit of the doubt," Luna implored. Chrys stayed silent for a while longer, before finally speaking.

"Night Watch wanted to kill Tyr."

Everyone in the room was stunned. "That's a lie!" Night said, scrambling to his feet..

"That's a pretty big accusation," Flash said slowly, standing up from his place beside Twilight. "I'm hoping you have some proof?"

"I can sense intent as well as emotions," Chrys muttered, scowling.

"And you just expect us to take your word for it?" AJ asked. "That's a tall order there, sugarcube."

"I'm not expecting you to believe me. In fact, I don't honestly care." Chrys narrowed her eyes. "The only person whose opinion matters to me is currently unable to give it."

"Now Chrysalis…" Celestia began, but a death-glare from the Changeling made her pause.

"Making an accusation like that is a big thing," Twilight said.

Chrys's frown deepened. "…Whatever. But you—" She pointed one sharp nail at Night. "If I sense any kind of negative thought from you anywhere near Tyr, I will tear your throat out with my bare hands."

With that, she curtly turned on her heel and walked away. Still in shock, the others didn't immediately follow. Chrys was halfway back to Tyr's room when she heard her name again. "Chrys!"

She paused, turning slightly to look back over her shoulder. It was Luna. "…What do you want?"

"I want to know why you acted that way," Luna said, frowning.

"Does it matter? I'm not one of your group, so why do you care about me?"

"Because you are my friend."

Chrys turned around, surprise on her face. It quickly vanished. "No I'm not."

"No, I mean it. It may not mean much to you, but I consider you to be one of my few friends."

"You already have plenty of friends."

"Truly? I do not." Luna looked down at her feet. "To be completely honest, the only people I can truly consider my friends are Tyr, my sister, Sherry and… you."

"…why are you telling me this?"

"Because I really want to know why you're so angry!" Luna felt the beginning of tears coming from her eyes. "Was what you said true?"

"…Yes."

The quiet reply caught Luna off guard. "Why would he…?"

"I don't know, and I don't care what his reasons are." She turned back around. "I will protect Tyr from _anyone_."

"…Good. Because at this point I trust you with him more than anyone. Keep him safe."

Chrys smiled. "Try and stop me."

Luna turned to go back. "I'll hold you to that."

"Oh! And… Luna. Tell Sherry that I value her friendship as well."

"I will do just that," Luna promised before leaving. She went back to the room with all the others, finding them still discussing the changeling's attitude.

"There was no reason for her to act like that," Twilight was saying. "I mean, we've given her nothing but the benefit of the doubt…"

"I guess she still don't trust us," AJ said.

"As if we need to worry about her trusting us," Dash muttered.

"I trust her," Luna said quietly, reentering the room.

"What? Why?"

"Because she is my friend." She turned to her sister. "Aren't friends supposed to trust one another?"

"She's accusing Night of attempted murder," Ace pointed out.

"She says with the lack of… food she normally gets from Tyr, she was a bit out of it."

"I don't buy it," Flash muttered.

"Answer this question for me. Why would Chrys lie about something when it concern's Tyr's life?"

"Princess Celestia was explaining the way Chrysalis's bond with Tyr works," Twilight said. "If Tyr dies, Chrysalis goes as well, correct?"

"As far as I know."

"Then it would make sense she would try extremely hard to keep him alive, right?"

"As a renewable food source," Dash pointed out.

"That is enough!" Luna snapped. She turned on Dash, wings flying open with a flourish. "You have mistrusted Chrys for far too long, and it _ends now!_ "

It was silent in the room. Dash seemed shocked, as did everyone else in the room. "…Princess Luna?" Fluttershy murmured.

"I… I do not think I am feeling all that well myself." Luna shook her head to clear it. "I will retire to my room."

She turned and hurried out of the room. A moment later, Celestia came to her senses. "I will go after her," She said hurriedly, and left the room.

She found Luna sitting on her hospital bed, a dejected look on her face. She glanced up as her big sister entered. "Tia?" She murmured.

"Is it all right if I come in?" Celestia gave her a soft smile. Luna nodded. Celestia entered and closed the door behind her. She made her way over to her, taking a seat in a nearby chair. They both sat in silence, neither of them saying anything for a long time. Part of Celestia wanted to ask her little sister what was wrong, while another part wanted to simply wait for Luna to speak. It was a long time before either made a sound, and it was Luna who finally spoke.

"Tia… I'm sorry. I do not know what has come over me lately…" She hung her head. "I have not been myself."

"Considering what happened that night, I am not surprised." Celestia smiled. "But I am always here for you, Lulu."

Luna smiled. "Thank you, big sister."

The door opened. The doctor from before came in. Celestia frowned as she read his name tag for the first time. "Doctor Quick Response, was it?"

Doctor Quick nodded. "When I saw you weren't in the room with the others, I came here. I had something I needed to talk to you about."

"Talk… to me?" Luna frowned. "About what, pray tell?"

Doctor Quick came further into the room, pulling out a chair to sit on. Celestia moved to get up, but the doctor held up a hand. "You can stay, Princess."

"All right…" Celestia retook her seat. "But what is this about?"

The doctor turned to Luna. "Princess Luna, have you been feeling any sickness lately?"

Luna frowned. As she thought for a moment, it occurred to her. "I believe I caught food poisoning while I was at my niece's home…"

"Was it nausea, and then in the morning you threw up?"

"Yes…"

"And you've felt some mood swings as well?"

"What are you getting at?" Luna snapped, but then caught herself. "…I believe I would be inclined to agree."

Doctor Quick sighed. "Now… Tyr Hymir is your boyfriend, correct?"

"Yes, but… where is all this going?"

"Now excuse me, as what I'm about to ask may seem quite forward of me, and I apologize…" the doctor sighed. "The two of you… did you ever have unprotected sex?"

Luna blinked. Then a slow blush began to grow on her cheeks. Then the blush traveled across her entire face. "N-no, we always tried to use protection…" She trailed off.

"What's the matter, Lulu?" Celestia asked.

"The night Tyr and Chrys made their Bond… Tyr… In his half-awake state, he…um…" The blush was growing. Doctor Quick simply nodded and checked his notes.

"Well, when you came in, we tested your blood, as I said. We noticed something, and ran a few other test while you were still… recovering."

"Tests? For what?"

The doctor sighed. "I'll just cut to the chase. Princess, you're pregnant. According to this, you are going to have twins."

Luna's blush vanished as all the color drained out of her face. Celestia covered her mouth as she gasped. "Lulu…!"

The doctor's pager buzzed, and he got up. "I apologize, but I have to go. Congratulations, Princess. I'm certain your boyfriend will be elated."

He left the room, leaving the two shocked women sitting in silence. Celestia glanced over at her sister, who was completely frozen. "…Lulu?"

"Pregnant?" Lulu repeated, face still frozen in shock. "…Twins?"

"Luna? Are you alright?" Her little sister didn't respond, instead sitting there in silence. After a long minute, the midnight-haired girl simply fell back onto the bed. "Luna? Lulu? …Lulu—Oh dear, she's passed out."

-x-

"Hey, can I come in?" Ace asked, knocking softly on the doorframe. Chrys looked up from her study of Tyr's soft breathing to look over at him.

"Ace Guard," Chrys said, remembering the young man's name.

"Yeah."

"…You can come in."

Ace grinned. "Sweet."

He walked in, the smile on his face shrinking to a more reserved one as he observed his friend lying on the bed. He didn't say anything for a long time. Chrys took the moment to look him over. A lot of the Equestrian males kept their tails in braids, most likely to keep them free. Ace was one of them, though the hair on his head was longer and shaggy. As she watched him, she could feel the worry he had for Tyr. She relaxed a bit. "…He will live, you know."

"I know," Ace said. "He's about as stubborn as AJ when it comes to that."

"…You consider him a friend, yes?"

"Course I do. Tyr is probably my best friend." He chuckled. "Would it surprise you if I told you I wasn't the most personable back home?"

"…That is surprising. I was sure you were the type to make friends everywhere."

Ace sat in a free chair. "Yeah, I was all business back in Canterlot. I came from a long line of Royal Guards, if you'd believe it."

"Considering your name is Ace Guard, no, I am not surprised." Chrys frowned. She had never understood Equestrian naming practices, but familial names tended to stay the same in most cases.

"My dad and my grandfather were guards before me, and even before that. I thought being a bodyguard to the Princesses was my destiny. It was, but despite being fulfilled, it was a lonely job. I knew Flash and Shining back then, but I never became real friends with them."

"And yet you became Tyr's friend."

"I realized that I couldn't go through life just worried about my job. And Tyr and I kinda just get along."

"…And not with Night Watch?"

Ace frowned. "Night gets… fixated on stuff easily. Back in Equestria, he was one of the ones who wanted to go chasing after you and the other Changelings after the attack on Canterlot. To be honest, I figured he had mellowed out when we ended up in this world, but…"

"He is fixated on Luna." She said it more like a statement than a question.

Ace chuckled. "I should a figured you'd see it. "

"You knew?"

"Yeah, but he never did anything. I figured it was harmless. But when you came running in…"

"You… believe me?" Chrys couldn't hide her surprise.

Ace nodded, his grin returning. "Hey, if Tyr trusts you, I can too."

"…You really are a friendly person, aren't you?"

"I do my best." He stood up. "Well, I've hung around long enough. Are you staying with him?"

"Yes."

"I should have guessed. Keep a good eye on him, alright?"

Chrys smiled softly. "You can count on me… my friend."

"See ya, Chrys." Ace nodded and left.

Chrys sat there in silence for a minute, before letting her smile grow as she glanced over at Tyr. "…You have good friends, Master."

When Luna woke back up, it was dark outside. Tia was nowhere to be found, leaving her all alone. Alone. The word reverberated through her thoughts heavily as she pulled the thin blanket over her tighter to her body.

[You're not alone] A voice told her, quiet and taunting.

"Silence," She hissed, knowing where the voice is coming from. "If I am not alone, it is because my beloved is yet of this world. I am never alone as long as I have him."

[And what of your… condition?]

Luna paused. She had not yet considered if Tyr wanted children. Well, having a child wasn't something he was against, because he had Sherry. But Sherry was a young woman in all but age. Would Tyr want more children, on top of already taking care of Sherry? Would he…

[Would he leave you?]

"No!" Luna cried out, a little louder than intended. She sucked in a ragged breath. "…He wouldn't."

[Can you really be sure? He doesn't know about the darkness in you yet, does he? What would he do if he knew—]

"Silence!" Luna stood up, her stomach doing flips. She climbed out of the bed and moved into the bathroom. The nausea was coming quick, and she had only a few seconds to pull her hair back before her stress—and what was left of the food in her stomach—voided itself into the toilet.

Night hadn't left with all the others. After visitation hours had passed and Celestia took all the others out, he had come up with the excuse that he was going to the bathroom. He had gone, only to ditch the group and head back to the rooms. Most of the hospital personnel had left, and the hospital was down to a skeleton crew. He smiled. The darkened hallways were perfect for him, for the night was always his ally. He slipped down the halls silently, moving back the way he had come. He stopped off in a storage closet, grabbed a couple of items and then was quickly back on his way. He had had the better part of the afternoon to come up with this plan, and there was nothing anyone could do at that point to stop him.

Now for the implementation.

He blanked his mind as best he could, coming up to the door he was looking for. The name on the plate made him frown, but he stayed impassive. Can't let that whore see him coming. He pushed the door open. "What the—you!" Chrys snarled, jumping up. However, Night was quicker, dashing to her and clapping his hand over her mouth. In it was a towel soaked in chloroform. It took effect quickly, the Changeling's fierce eyes drooping and then closing. He let her drop to the ground.

"Too slow, you little bug." He grinned evilly at her unconscious body. "Too bad you'll die once I'm done. I'd have liked the feeling of killing the 'last Changeling'."

He moved over to the side of Tyr's bed. The man had not moved, the only noise in the room his breathing and the soft beep of the heart monitor. The one man that stood between him and the life he imagined with Princess Luna. So helpless, and so vulnerable… "Don't worry," He said quietly, moving over with the empty syringe he picked up and filling it with air. He stuck it into the tube of the I.V. "I'll take good care of Luna. Hey, maybe I'll even take in your soon to be orphan…"

Then everything suddenly moved. As he was pushing the bubble of air in, he felt the sting of sharp metal sliding into his thigh. "You made your last mistake," Tyr growled, the silver pen buried to the clip in Night's leg. "You _never_ threaten my family."

Night cursed in pain, recoiling from the bedside. Tyr jumped up to his feet, quickly ripping the tubes off of his body. Night yanked the pen out of his leg just as Tyr barreled into him, slamming him into the wall. "Bastard!" Night hissed, reaching for his holstered gun. Tyr spotted the move, and slammed his hand down on Night's and shattering his thumb. To his credit, Night took the destruction of his finger with no more than a pained grunt, as he threw punches towards Tyr's abdomen. One lucky hit caught Tyr on his knife wound, and caused his side to seize up in pain. Night tackled him back towards the bed, trying to pin him down. Tyr kicked his knee up, knocking Night's gun free of its holster and letting it clatter to the ground. Distracted by the sudden loss of his weapon, Night slacked his grip on Tyr, letting the taller man push him off and regain his feet. Night grabbed for him again, and the two men grappled again over the bed, Night abusing the fact that Tyr was wounded to overpower him.

Tyr grunted as Night hit him in his stab wound again, and pushed him off again. Night scrambled for his gun, but Tyr leapt on him, smashing him into the side of a cabinet and sending the weapon sliding towards the door. As Night tried to retaliate, he tripped over the prostrate Chrysalis. He cursed as he fell onto his back in front of the wall mounted mirror. As he scrambled to his feet, Tyr slammed into his chest, smashing him into the mirror and shattering it. He hit Night as hard as he could, winding him before he was bodily tossed into the door.

Luna straightened up as she heard the noise. It sounded like someone had dropped something out in the hall. Finally convincing her stomach to stop doing flips, she went to the door and opened it slightly. The halls were empty. "…Hello?" The noise continued, and it sounded like someone was struggling. "Perhaps they need help…?"

Chrys stirred as Tyr was pinned to the bed again, Night's hands curled around his throat to choke him. Shaking the haze from her eyes, she glanced over at the shattered glass on the floor. Picking up a long piece, she leapt up onto Night's back and buried the makeshift weapon into his shoulder. "Damn it!" Night yelled, tossing her off and grabbing for the glass. He turned around and kicked her savagely, eliciting a small squeak of pain. He had no time to revel in the moment as Tyr attacked again, smashing his hand against the shard of glass and shoving it further in. Night howled in pain, and spun back, slamming his elbow into Tyr's side.

"Damn," Tyr groaned, feeling his stiches rip open. He staggered back, and Night jumped him again, trying to choke him. Tyr fought back as best he could, but Night punched his now open wound a couple times to weaken his resistance. He opened his mouth to curse again, but couldn't get a breath.

"Just… die… already!" Night said through clenched teeth.

A click from behind them caused them all to pause. "…Release him at once, Night Watch."

Night glanced back over his shoulder to find Luna standing there, his pistol held in her hands and aimed directly at him. "Princess…?"

"Let him go!" She squeaked, keeping the gun trained on him.

Night kept Tyr held down a moment longer before he finally relented and let him go. Tyr coughed a few times and pulled away, moving off to the side. "Hellfire," He groaned.

Luna kept her aim on Night even as he turned around slowly, putting his hands up. He frowned. "Princess… have you ever held a gun before?"

"Do not move, Night Watch," Luna snapped.

"It is simply an honest question."

"…No," Luna replied. "This would be the very first time."

"I can tell. Your aim is shaking." He smirked, then suddenly lunged forward, reaching for the weapon. Luna, surprised, dropped her aim—and shot him in the knee, the bullet tearing through and smashing into the floor. Night screamed in pain and collapsed to the floor. "You… you shot me!"

Luna sighed and lowered the weapon. "I may not be entirely comfortable with such a… loud weapon; I still know how to fire one."

"Damn you…!"

"Night Watch, you are accused of treason and attempted murder," Luna said, her voice growing steely. I find you guilty, and the consequences are death."

Suddenly, Night felt himself being righted, and a pair of arms draped themselves around his shoulders like those of a lover's. However, the voice that whispered in his ear intimately was not one he wanted to hear.

"I keep my promises," Chrys hissed softly into his ear.

Before he could even react with surprise, Chrys hooked her claws into the side of his neck and ripped his throat open in a spurt of blood. Luna flinched slightly as the blood splattered around her legs. Night's hands shot up to his neck, trying vainly to staunch the flow of blood. He fell to the floor, twitching slightly as the three of them watched his life ebb out onto the smooth floor. After they stood there for a moment, Tyr sat back heavily on the bed. His re-opened wound was bleeding, and a stain was growing on the side of his clothes. "Tyr!" Luna exclaimed, running over to him.

"The stitches… reopened," Tyr said, grimacing with pain. "Hurts like hell, but I'm alright."

As Luna helped Tyr settle, a pair of doctors and security personnel came into the room. They all paused at the non-moving body of Night sprawled on the floor, and the blood covering Chrys's arm. They reached for their weapons. "Hold!" Luna said, holding up a hand. "Chrysalis saved my beloved from being murdered tonight."

"Yes, something you men could not," Chrys snapped at the guards.

The doctors moved carefully past the body and over to Tyr. "We'll have to close you back up…"

"That would help, thanks," Tyr grunted, laying back down.

"Get this body out of here," The other doctor said. The guards moved to follow the order.

"Miss Luna, you'll have to leave for now," One doctor said.

"I would prefer to stay with him," Luna said evenly, but internally she was afraid of being alone again.

"But…"

"She stays," Tyr grunted, wincing as the doctors began working on him. He glanced over at Chrys. "They both do."

"…alright then."

Luna moved to the side that the doctors weren't working on, and gently took a hold of Tyr's hand. She smiled. "Thank you, beloved."

Tyr smiled back. "Hey, what man wouldn't want the woman he loves with him at all times?"

Chrys sat down behind Luna, quietly licking the blood off her hand. "Oh yes, you two go ahead and do cutesy faces at each other. I was quite hungry…"


	19. Chapter 18: Barred Eighth Notes

**A big thanks to those who are sticking with me as I write this story. I really appreciate all your opinions and comments, and really want to hear more from you.**

 **...Not that I need you to, or anything like that. _**

 **For real though, big thanks to those of you who have commented. I really appreciate that you took the time to tell me what you think. So, without more ado, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Barred Eighth Notes

"Well, to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen any human recover from a wound that serious that fast," Doctor Quick murmured, examining Tyr's wound. It had largely all but scarred over. After he had reopened it in his fight with Night a day ago, the doctors were afraid he had suffered more internal damage. However, only the external wound had come open, and they had easily and quickly patched him back up.

"I guess I'm just naturally resilient," Tyr muttered with a small laugh. "Plus, it has been a week."

"Or maybe it's the magic Luna and I have been using on you near constantly," Chrys said, poking him.

"That may be it," Luna said, running her hand along Tyr's newest scar. She had taken note of all his other scars, most likely childhood and work related, and seeing this new one healing was a strange sight.

"Well, I'd like to keep you here longer, but there really isn't much of a reason to," The doctor said. "You're free to go home."

"Thanks doc," Tyr said, sitting up. After the fiasco the other night, the hospital had moved him to a new room and moved Luna in as well. Chrys had also been allowed to stay at his insistence. "Well, we should probably get out of here."

"I would like that," Chrys said, glancing around. "I tire of this… hospital décor."

Luna giggled as they all got ready to leave. "You haven't enjoyed yourself, Chrys?"

"The only entertainment was killing Night Watch," Chrys said blandly. "And that was short lived."

They exited out into the hall, Chrys and Luna on either side of him. Luna hooked her arms into his, holding herself close to him. "What's wrong?" Tyr asked as they passed by the receptionist's desk.

"…Nothing," Luna said, pressing her head against his chest. She hadn't told him yet about her pregnancy, and she was dreading it. Despite knowing her beloved would never hate her, she just couldn't stomach the thought that maybe he didn't want more children to take care of. But then, what would she do?

"Luna." Tyr shook her lightly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Huh?" Luna looked around, finding them outside. "…Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts."

"Okay then. Do you know where they parked my truck?" He pulled out the keys, which he most likely had gotten back from the front desk as they were leaving.

"Give me a moment," Chrys murmured, opening her wings. She lifted off into the sky and floated above the parking lot, searching for Tyr's truck.

"Huh," Tyr said, watching his Changeling search. "Well, can't say it isn't helpful having help that can fly…"

[I see it] Chrys thought, pointing.

[Thanks Chrys. We'll meet you over there.]

Chrys nodded and flew over to the truck. Tyr led Luna after her. They walked in silence for a while, before Luna spoke up suddenly. "Tyr, may I ask you a question?"

He glanced down at her, a small smile growing on his face. "Ask away, Princess."

"Are you… fond of children?"

"Fond of…?" Tyr laughed. "Where in the world did that come from?"

"I… um… I passed into the pediatric ward and saw the kids there. I was only curious."

"I see. Well, I don't have anything against kids. I have Sherry after all, remember?"

"I know, I know, but… What about younger children?"

"Younger children…?" Tyr thought for a moment. "I mean, they don't bother me or anything, if that's what you're asking."

"I see…"

"That's a pretty random question to ask, love," Tyr pointed out.

"…I was only curious."

"Well, I know enough about your curiosity to let it slide." He winked as they reached the truck. As they approached the vehicle, Tyr frowned. "What the hell…?"

Sitting in the bed of his truck was a slender, pale skinned girl with knife straight golden hair. She was staring off into the distance, only moving when they approached. Her deep blue eyes focused on Tyr and a slow smile spread across her face. "Well hello handsome," She said huskily. She slowly climbed out of the truck bed to stand before them.

"Who are you?" Tyr asked, frowning.

"Crystal," The girl replied smoothly. She stood up and hopped out of the truck bed, coming to stand in front of Tyr. They were both the same height, although Crystal was slightly shorter. The look of familiarity on her face was slowly driving Luna to anger. Who was this woman, and why was she acting so friendly towards HER Tyr? She felt the moon symbol on the back of her hand begin to glow with magical power, but she stopped herself. What was she so worried about? This… hussy stealing her man? "And you are?"

Tyr stared at her for a long time before finally sighing. "Chrys. Stop."

Crystal giggled, while Luna looked on in confusion. "W-what?"

"You caught me," Crystal said. "So I'm guessing you're not into blondes?"

"Not anymore," Tyr said under his breath.

"Hm, I see. Then how about this?" Crystal's body glowed a faint green, and her skin began to ripple like the surface of a pond after a stone was thrown into it. Her skin tanned, her hair turned a dark brown and shortened to her shoulders. "You prefer brunettes?"

"…Chrys…"

"Or is it the height?" The same faint glow of magic appeared again, and the girl before him shortened about a foot. "This better?"

"Chrys…"

"Or maybe…" A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and her magic surged forth again. This time, when it finished, Tyr was faced with a completely identical replica of Luna. The fake smiled up at him. "Is this the only form you can love?"

Tyr's eyes narrowed. "Chrys."

"I mean, I don't blame you. To an extent, even I find Luna attractive. But maybe… if I'm like this you might—'accidentally'—take me into your room at night, or even enact a fantasy where you have two Lunas…"

"Chrysalis." The coldness with which Tyr said her whole name made Chrys freeze on the spot. She looked up to meet his eyes and found no humor there. She shrunk a little under his stern gaze. "That's enough."

A feeling Chrys had never wanted to feel again seized her heart. "I'm sorry!" She pleaded, immediately transforming back to her normal appearance. There were the ghosts of tears in her eyes, and her voice came out in a terrified tone. "I was excited when I discovered I had my magic again, and I took it too far…! Please, don't be upset…"

Tyr kept his gaze on her for a moment longer before letting it soften. He put a comforting hand on Chrys's head, gently stroking her hair. She eagerly pulled his hand down so that he was caressing her face. "It was a bit much, yes," He said after a moment. "But I just want you to know that I personally much rather prefer your normal appearance."

"O-okay…" Chrys blushed and moved away from him.

Luna was dumbfounded. From what she had heard, Chrysalis had been a very strong-willed individual, leading an army of Changelings to conquer her homeland. She had feasted on the emotions of countless men and women in order to feed her race. And here she was, panicking that a human might be angry at her. Considering she herself would go out of her way to make Tyr happy… "I guess that's love," She chuckled to herself.

Tyr chuckled. "Alright, come on, get in. Let's get home, shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Luna agreed.

"Very well," Chrys said, disappointed that Tyr had removed his hand. The three of them climbed into the truck, and before long they were on their way. They were silent during the car ride, each of them retreating into their own thoughts. Luna was conflicted. She wanted to tell Tyr about her pregnancy, but he had just survived two attempts on his life! Could she really drop this on him now? She let out a sigh.

"You really must have something on your mind," Tyr murmured.

"Hm?" Luna looked up to find themselves parked outside their home. Tyr and Chrys were looking at her with confused looks on their faces. "…Oh."

"If something is bothering you…"

"No! I'm fine."

Tyr frowned. "Luna…"

"Tyr, beloved." She smiled. "I am alright."

"…If you say so." They all got out of the truck, Chrys coming up beside her master as they did so. [What do you think?] He thought to his Changeling.

[I believe I enjoy the feeling of being owned] Chrys thought back, a smile on her face. [Maybe you should buy me a collar, Master]

Tyr shivered slightly. [Yeah, I doubt that will go over well with the others. And that is not what I was asking]

[I know… She is apprehensive, but about what, I do not know]

[Hm… oh well then] Tyr moved to the door, put his key in, and opened it.

Almost at once, over a dozen voices spoke up at once. "SURPRISE!"

A giant banner fell from the ceiling with the words 'Welcome home, Tyr!' written on it, while all of Tyr's friends came bursting out of their hiding places. Sherry leapt into her father's arms. "Daddy! I'm so glad you're home!" She squealed into his chest.

"Good to see you too, sweetie," Tyr said, pulling her into a tight hug. He looked up as all his friends came around to welcome him home. "When did you guys…?"

"My Pinkie Sense told me!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing over. "And I just haaaad to throw you a party when you came back!"

"Pinkie Sense…?"

"It's best not to question it," Twilight said. "Trust me on that one."

"You guys didn't have to go this far…" Tyr began, but Rarity quickly hushed him.

"Now don't start with that, darling. We wanted to show you how much we appreciate and missed you."

"As cool as I am alone…" Dash began, before Ace elbowed her in the side. "Ow. Fine! It's cool you're back, bro."

Ace simply grinned. "Good to see you, man."

AJ clapped him on the back, making him stagger a bit. "Glad to see y'all in one piece, sugarcube!"

"With a hit like that, you might put him back in," Flash muttered.

"We really value your friendship Tyr," Twilight said, "And we should be allowed to worry when a friend is hurt, right?"

Tyr smiled. "…Yeah. You're right. Thanks everyone."

"Well, shall we enjoy the cake Pinkie-winkle…" Rarity turned around and trailed off. Celestia was standing beside the triple layer cake, already eating a slice. She looked up from her blissful ignorance to find everyone's eyes on her.

"What?" She said as innocently as possible.

Luna sighed and put her hand to her face. "Sister…"

Despite the large cut in the cake, the party was lively. Tyr was told somewhere between assuring his daughter and pulling off her friends as they peppered him with questions that Pinkie's parties were always lively. About a half hour after Tyr, Luna and Chrys came home, Cadance and Shining Armor arrived. "I hope we're not too late," Cadance said.

"Nope!" Pinkie said happily. She glanced back over to where Celestia was finishing off what remained of the cake. "At least… you missed the cake. Anyway, come on in!"

"Well now," Shining said as Cadance and Twilight did their usual greeting dance. He walked over to the small group of guys. "Nice house, Tyr."

"It's cozy," Tyr replied, sipping at a cup of punch. He made sure to taste the drink thoroughly, and shot a glance over at Celestia. She noticed his gaze and smiled. –Not this time—her eyes seemed to say. "It's a lot livelier with everyone here."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Shining said with a chuckle. "When everyone left our house, it suddenly felt a lot emptier."

"Well, that's your fault for having a big house for two people," Flash said with a roll of his eyes. "In addition to being on beachfront property…"

"Man, I wish I had a beachside house," Ace murmured.

"You just want an excuse to have Dash in a swimsuit every other day," Flash pointed out.

"Eeyup," Big Mac murmured, sipping at his own drink. Tyr blinked a bit at hearing his voice. Despite his size, his quiet nature sometimes made him as hard to notice as Fluttershy.

Tyr raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ace. "Did I miss something while I was under anesthesia?"

"Only our dear friend here getting a second chance with Dash," Flash said dryly. "She agreed to at least one date."

"And I will be certain to make the date awesome," Ace said with a grin.

"Well, good on you man," Tyr said, playfully punching his friend's arm.

"So, I'd like to know what happened with you, Tyr," Shining said, turning to him. "From what Princess Celestia told Cady, someone attacked you?"

"Two to be precise," Flash said, "The first guy… well, let's just say Princess Luna took care of him."

"And the second?"

There was a bit of silence. "It was Night," Ace said after a moment. "Night tried to kill Tyr."

Shining's face betrayed his shock. "What? Why in Celestia's name would he do that?"

"Simple answer was that he wanted Luna for himself," Tyr said bitterly. "He was going to kill me and Chrys."

"Celestia… well, seeing as you're here and he's not…"

"Chrys finished it. She did promise him after all."

"Well, considering the circumstances…" Flash sat back in his seat. "He got what he deserved. I'd have acted like that if someone tried to take Twilight from me."

Shining frowned, and then smiled. "Well, I'll hold you to that. But I still can't believe Night tried to kill you."

"Neither can I," Tyr said.

Across the room, the girls were having the same conversation. "Thank goodness Chrys was there," Twilight murmured in shock.

"I'm just glad Tyr was awake as well," Rarity agreed.

"I suppose you've earned our trust this time," Cadance said, meeting the Changeling's eyes. "Thank you for saving him."

Chrys scoffed. "I would have saved him no matter what. But… I appreciate that, Cadance."

"It's nice to see everyone getting along," Fluttershy said happily.

"I reckon that's better than us being at each other's necks like a bunch a angry snakes," AJ said with a chuckle. "Right, Dash?"

Dash frowned and folded her arms. "Yeah, whatever."

"So!" Rarity said suddenly, a smile growing on her face. "Rainbow Dash, I heard you and Ace are going on a date?"

"Oh?" Cadance said, intrigued. "You and Ace…?"

"I-It's nothing!" Dash said, blushing a bit. "He helped me out when I was hurt, so I figured…"

"You wanted to give him another chance, huh?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Twilight said. "On the positive side, you know his feelings are genuine."

"Don't remind me," Dash said bitterly.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Cadance suddenly perked up. "I wanna know how everyone else's relationships are going!"

"Oh dear," Celestia said with a slight chuckle. "You can't help yourself, can you, Cadance?"

"Can you stop waking up early in the morning?" Cadance countered.

"…Fair enough."

"So!" Cadance turned to Rarity and Pinkie first, catching the latter trying to feed her girlfriend a slice of pie. "I see you two are not shy about your love."

"Of course not!" Pinkie giggled. "I love Rare-bear, and I'm not afraid to let the whole world know it!"

Rarity sighed. "Pinkie's been wanting to throw an 'I love Rarity' party for the longest time."

"But I just wanna show how much I love you…"

Rarity smiled and leaned against Pinkie, resting her face against hers. "I know, dear. You don't need to throw a party to tell me that."

"Well, that answered my question," Cadance said. "Applejack, how about you?"

AJ rubbed at the back of her neck. "Well… It's… kinda…"

Surprisingly, it was Fluttershy who answered. "It was a little hard explaining everything to her family, but they've all agreed to simply be happy for us."

"Well, that's good," Twilight said. "I would have felt terrible if Applejack's folks didn't approve."

"Same here, darling," Rarity agreed. "When I told my parents, they were simply shocked I had gotten into a relationship at all."

Pinkie grinned. "My parents were happy, but my big sister said she wanted to come make sure I was happy."

"You have an older sister?" Luna asked.

"I have three sisters!"

Cadance smiled. "Sounds like a big family."

"You don't have any siblings, Cadance?" Fluttershy asked.

"The closest thing to a sister I would have is Twilight," Cadance said with a wide smile. "Since she is my sister-in-law and all."

"I did always want a big sister," Twilight said.

Cadance thought for a moment. "Although… If Aunt Luna and Tyr were to get married, wouldn't that make Sherry my sister too?"

"M-marriage?" Luna stuttered, blushing heavily.

"You haven't thought about it darling?" Rarity said, shocked.

"I mean, I have, but…" Luna glanced down at her hands. "I haven't spoken to him about it."

"You should!" Twilight said. "I'm sure Tyr would love to marry you!"

"I… I don't want to pressure him…"

"I believe she should wait until she's ready," Celestia said softly. "After all, she does have quite a bit to think about."

"I suppose that's fair," Cadance said.

Luna fell silent. Another thing she had to think about. Marrying Tyr would be a perfect occasion, and with the baby on the way… She went pale. There was still the baby, and she still hadn't told Tyr. She felt Celestia's hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find her sister smiling at her. "All in due time," She said.

"R-right…" Luna nodded.

As they continued to talk, a voice screamed from upstairs. "Scootaloo, wait!"

All eyes turned to the staircase, where the violet haired girl was rushing along. She rounded the corner to the stairs, just as Sherry and the other girls appeared. "Be careful!" Sweetie Bell called out. It was too late, as Scootaloo realized her danger a second too late and her foot caught on the edge of the top stair. She tumbled down, her small wings flapping uselessly as she fell. "Oh… crap!"

There was movement all over, as those with wings opened them, and everyone else jumped up. But no one was close enough or fast enough, not even Dash. As Scootaloo fell further, suddenly an aura of silver energy caught hold of her, keeping her from hitting the ground just inches short. As she realized her safety, she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," Twilight said.

"Seems even Dash wasn't fast enough this time," AJ teased. Dash blushed and scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever. I can't beat magic anyway."

"Who caught her anyway?" Fluttershy asked softly.

"Now that you mention it…" Twilight said, glancing around. "I don't recognize that magical aura…"

"Dad!" Sherry gasped in surprise as she, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell rushed down the stairs to their friend. "Your hand!"

Tyr glanced down at his hand just as everyone else looked. His hand was sheathed in a silver glow, small bits of energy floating off to vanish in the open air. "What the hell…?" He murmured in quiet shock.

"How is that possible?" Twilight demanded, going over to him. He backed up instinctively, caught off guard by her accusatory tone. "You're human! How can you use telekinesis?"

"Great, Tyr has magic powers," Flash sighed. "Anyone want to explain this one to me?"

"I'd like an explanation as well," Twilight agreed.

"I think I may have an idea," Chrys said, going over to Tyr. "Luna and I were both using our magic to sustain Tyr during that first night, albeit on Luna's part it was unconscious."

"Luna did have Tyr wrapped in her magic," Rarity said. "And she wasn't really controlling it."

"So you believe my magic and Chrys's affected Tyr's body and allowed him to use magic?" Luna asked.

"That would be my guess," Celestia told her. "Tyr was already a bit of an unusual case, as he gained a Cutie Mark. And now he has access to Unicorn magic."

"Don't tell me he's going to sprout wings or something," Ace mumbled. As a side thought, he went behind Tyr and yanked up his shirt to look at his back.

"Hey!" Tyr snapped, pushing him away.

"Nope, no wings."

"Thanks for checking," Tyr said dryly.

"Um…" Scootaloo murmured, still suspended in midair. "I like being in the air and all, but can you put me down?"

"Uh, sure…" Tyr frowned.

"Simply think about letting her go and feel it," Luna advised. "Magic like ours react to our emotions."

Tyr nodded, and looked back over to Scootaloo. He lowered his hand slowly, and imagined setting her down as gently as he could. Scootaloo drifted towards the floor, and then the aura of energy dissipated, dropping her the last few inches. "Ow," She complained, rubbing her butt.

"Sorry," Tyr apologized. "First time and all."

"That was good for your first ever experience with magic," Celestia said.

"It was… a strange feeling," Tyr murmured, looking down at his hand. A smaller version of the mark on his back was now on the back of his hand. As he focused on it, it began to glow again. He relaxed, and the glow receded. "Guess that's something I have to get used to, huh…"

"It gets easier with time," Luna said.

"And practice," Shining told him. "Which we'll have you run through the training with the other new recruits."

"We're training new recruits?" Ace asked. "Weak, dude…"

"Hey, we have to get a replacement for Night, plus we have to make sure all the other guards are up to par."

"Great…"

"I just remembered!" Cadance said suddenly. "Tyr! You owe me a match!"

Tyr blinked in surprise, and then grinned. "Bring it on, sweet cheeks!"

"That's 'Candy Ass' to you, Tyr. Cause that's what you'll be kissing when I wipe the floor with you!"

They both rushed upstairs, the kids chasing after. Shining watched them go with a sigh. "That's my Cady for you… She's got a competitive streak almost as long as her tail."

"Ah, how eager all you young ones are," Celestia said with a laugh.

Luna shot her a dark look. "Do not start with that, sister."

"I was only making an observation, Lulu."

"Yes, whatever you say…"

-x-

Tyr realized that next morning that he kept strange company for breakfast. AS he prepared an overly large breakfast, he glanced back to where three Princesses, a Prince, and a former Queen sat at his breakfast table. Cadance and Shining Armor had stayed the night since it was so late, and Celestia… who knows why she was there. But seeing the tall, radiant princess in simple night clothes was worth it anyway. [Staring at the wrong one, aren't you Master?]

[I'm not staring] Tyr thought back, earning an amused giggle from the Changeling.

"I know what you two are doing," Cadance pointed out, "But it still just seems weird."

"Believe me," Luna muttered, brushing her hair. "You do not have to live with it."

"My apologies, I simply like to tease my Master," Chrys said.

"Speaking of which," Shining said, "What's up with the whole 'Master' thing?"

Chrys thought for a moment, but it was Tyr who answered. "According to Chrys, I technically own her." He said.

"You… own her?" Cadance asked, confused.

Chrys smiled happily and nodded. "Uh huh! And he's going to have Rarity make me a custom-made collar!"

The room fell silent. Tyr coughed softly and began flipping pancakes off the griddle onto plates. He served each of them—minus Chrys—and sat down beside his daughter. Celestia was the first to speak. "May I have some syrup, Tyr?"

"Sure." Tyr got up and retrieved the bottle of syrup. He passed it to Celestia, who gave him a small nod of thanks. The silence set in again.

"A _collar!?_ " Cadance yelled, standing up. Her sudden outburst made Tyr's magic flare up defensively, blasting his pancakes off of the table and into the wall. "…Oops."

"I promised no such thing," Tyr said with a sigh. He glanced over to find a hurt looking Chrys looking at him. "…What?"

"…It seems she really wanted one," Luna murmured. "As… odd as that is."

"Serious?" Tyr frowned.

"Collars mean safety and ownership, even protection," Shining said thoughtfully. He glanced over at the others. "…So I read."

Cadance coughed, and sat back down. "I mean, everyone expresses their love differently…"

"You really want this collar?" Tyr asked Chrys. She nodded vigorously, her smile growing. "…Ugh. Fine, I'll talk to Rarity later. I'm going by there anyway to fix something for her. Maybe she'll make this collar for you."

Chrys jumped up and hugged him. "Oh, thank you Master! This means a lot to me."

[You just wanted to mess with me, didn't you?]

[Of course, Master]

Tyr arrived with his usual punctuality at Rarity's boutique. After almost destroying his own breakfast with his somewhat out of control magic, he had decided to keep his magic restrained while he worked. Rarity wanted him to repair her sewing machine again, and he didn't want to accidentally blow it up or anything. As he came inside, he almost ran into Sweetie Bell. "Oh, sorry Sweetie Bell. I didn't see you."

"Oh, hi Tyr!" Sweetie Bell seemed to brighten up at seeing him. She was lying on the floor, looking bored. She sat up as he came over. "Here to see my big sis, huh?"

"She did want me to help her out."

"She's been working non-stop all day," Sweetie Bell complained. "I wanted to spend the day with her…"

Tyr listened closely and could hear the sound of frantic working coming from upstairs. "Did she get in an order or something?"

"I guess. She told me not to help, so I figure it's something important." She sighed. "She never lets me help."

"Let me guess: whenever you try to help, it doesn't end well."

"I try really hard!" Sweetie Bell protested, sitting up. "But whatever I try to do doesn't work out…"

Tyr nodded. "My little sister Freyja was like that. She was always trying to help our big sis Nanna out in the lab. Always said she wanted to be a scientist like her sister."

Sweetie Bell perked up at hearing that. "I wanna be a fashion designer like Rarity!"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you good at designing?"

"I… I…um… kinda." She blushed.

"Not very, huh?"

"I only really know what Rarity has taught me…"

"Do you really want to be a fashion designer? Or do you just want to do that because Rarity does it?"

Sweetie Bell looked caught off guard. She opened her mouth to respond, but at the same moment Rarity came rushing downstairs. "Tyr! Darling! Thank goodness you came! I need your help at once!"

"You said your sewing machine broke down?" Tyr said, straightening up.

"Yes! And it is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" She emphasized each word with increasing amounts of panic. Tyr simply held up a hand to placate her.

"Uh… right. I'll get right to work."

Sweetie Bell dropped back to her laying position on the floor. "Guess I'll just stay here…" She muttered.

Tyr thought for a moment. "Hey, Sweetie Bell. Wanna watch me work?"

"Really!?" Sweetie Bell and Rarity said at once. Tyr chuckled a bit at the odd symmetry between the two sisters.

"Yeah, but I don't want you touching anything, okay?"

"Oh…" Sweetie Bell was more disappointed while Rarity seemed relieved.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd let you help if I could, but I'd rather you didn't get hurt."

"Hurt?" Sweetie Bell looked confused.

"I'll show you." The three of them went upstairs to where Rarity's work zone was. It looked like a tornado had struck the room, with fabrics and other materials scattered about. Tyr led Sweetie Bell over to the sewing machine. He pulled it open, revealing it's myriad of moving parts. "See? There's a lot of stuff in here that moves, and I wouldn't want you to get your hand or fingers stuck."

"Oh…"

As Tyr and Rarity got to work, Sweetie Bell moved closer so that she could see what he was doing. As he worked, Tyr went out of his way to explain exactly what he was doing and what tools he was using. Whenever Sweetie Bell had a question, he answered it as simply as he could so she could understand. Rarity found herself watching the man more and more until she had stopped working just to watch him. He was surprisingly tolerant of Sweetie Bell's constant pestering, almost seeming to enjoy the attention the young girl was giving him. And even more surprising, Sweetie Bell had kept her promise and was not touching a single thing. The most she was trying to do to help was hand Tyr his tools as he worked. In her opinion, he was an excellent father. Rarity hadn't even noticed that she had set down her own things until her cat, Opalescence, meowed loudly at her feet. "Oh! Oh dear, Opal, I didn't see you there."

"Spacing out over there, sis?" Sweetie Bell teased.

"I was… um… having an idea. Yes, an idea." She picked up her needlework, a number of fabrics lifting into the air hoisted by her white tinged magic. She hadn't lied, that would have been unbecoming of a lady. But her idea was not about the dresses.

-x-

"So how is your stomach doing, Lulu?" Celestia asked. She was watching Cadance and Luna brutalize Shining in a game of CoD. Chrys sat off to one side, watching with mild disinterest. Sherry had gone off to play with Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner, so that left just the five of them in the house.

"Your stomach is still acting up?" Cadance asked, concerned.

Luna frowned. She didn't want to lie to her niece and nephew in law… "Well, yes, but not for the reason you think." She rubbed at her stomach.

"Not for the reason I think…?" Cadance frowned, a confused look on her face. After a moment of thought, it changed to one of understanding, and then one of shock. Before long, she was brimming with excitement. "Oooooooh!"

Shining looked between his aunt-in-law and his wife, confused. "What? What's going on?"

"Shiny, don't you have to go meet the boys for training later?"

"Uh, yeah, but it feels like you're kicking me out…"

"Well, duh. Just go, baby!"

She started to push him out of the door. "Okay, okay, geez! If you wanted to have a girl talk, just say so."

"Alright fine, we're gonna have a girl talk."

"Okay. See you later Candy."

"Shiny!" She blushed slightly, glancing back at her aunts. "I told you to only call me that when we're alone…"

"You didn't hesitate to tell Tyr to call you that last night…"

"Oh, stop! I'll see you later!" They shared a quick kiss before she finally pushed him out and closed the door. She turned back around, a small smile on her face. "Honestly, that man…"

"You two are quite in love," Chrys said halfheartedly.

"You would know, huh?" Cadance shot back. Chrys acted hurt for a moment before chuckling softly.

"I suppose I would," She said.

"Anyway!" Cadance sat beside Luna and leaned in close. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have told no one, as of yet," Luna murmured softly. "Tia only knows because the doctor told me while she was in the room."

"So that is why you have been so apprehensive," Chrys said, turning. "Tyr was worried something was wrong."

"I worried him? I did not mean to…"

"You haven't told him yet?" Cadance asked, shocked. "Why wouldn't you?"

"I was… waiting on the right moment…" Luna explained, rubbing her hands nervously over her controller. "I mean, he almost died! Twice even! I did not want to burden his mind with more information…"

"…She's scared," Chrys said, matter-of-factly. Luna hung her head in defeat.

"…Yes…"

"Lulu," Celestia said gently, "I believe the news that new life will be entering the world is pleasant news for anyone."

"But what if he didn't want to have kids?" Luna asked. "What if… what if he didn't want to have them so soon?"

"Things happen, auntie," Cadance assured her. "I doubt Tyr is the type of person who would get angry about that sort of thing."

"I could always just ask him," Chrys offered.

"Don't!" Luna pleaded.

"It would only take a thought…"

"Promise me you won't, Chrys?"

"…And why should I keep said promise?"

"Because my magic allows me to enter your dreams and alter them into nightmares if I so choose."

"…Very well then. You make a convincing argument."

"Auntie, you have to tell him eventually," Cadance said. "I mean, a protruding belly isn't something you can hide that easily."

"I am well aware. I just want… the best time for telling him." She sighed.

"I suppose that is fair," Celestia said. "You would not want him to find out at an inopportune time, would you?"

"You also do not want to wait too long," Cadance warned.

"This is true as well…"

"So for now we should get you something for your stomach."

"Where would we go? The doctor?"

"A doctor of sorts," Celestia said with a smile.

-x-

"You're really smart, Tyr," Sweetie Bell said, watching Tyr finish up with Rarity's sewing machine. "You must have been in school a long time."

Tyr chuckled. "I actually skipped grades. I never went to seventh grade."

"Really?"

"Mmhm."

Rarity looked up from her designing. The small work glasses she wore made her look pretty professional, Tyr thought. "Really, darling? How old are you actually?"

"Twenty-nine," Tyr offered. Rarity looked surprised. "What, you thought I was younger?"

"No, I actually thought you might be older than that. You have gone through college, correct?"

"Yeah, and I took a lot of summer classes. I was only in college for three and a half years."

Sweetie Bell looked horrified. "You went to school through summer?"

Tyr chuckled. "I was kinda a bookworm at the time. I really wanted to hurry and get my degree."

"I was wondering about that," Rarity said. "What did you go to school for?"

"Criminal Justice," Tyr replied. "I went into the police academy soon after, and after a year there, I was picked for S.W.A.T. training."

"They picked you?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"Normally you have to apply, but I was tapped cause of my marksmanship. I was fast tracked into advanced training."

"Pretty impressive," Rarity said.

"You want impressive? You remember my sister, Nanna?"

"I believe so."

"She graduated college five years before me." Tyr smirked. "She's only a year older than me."

The two sisters gaped. "Wow…" Sweetie murmured.

"Yeah, that's Nanna for you." Tyr patted the sewing machine. "Well, I'm all done. She's as good as new."

"Wonderful!" Rarity said. She quickly retrieved her check book and wrote out a quick payment. "I do not know what I would do without you, darling."

"It's no problem, Rarity. I like helping out."

"Oh! I just remembered. An acquaintance of mine wanted to know if you could repair something for her." She frowned. "Would it be too much if you went today?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind, but I'll need directions…"

"Ah, yes, right." She went over to a desk with a motherlode of sticky notes stuck all over it. She quickly pulled one free. "Here you are."

"I'm kinda surprised you found it so quickly," Tyr remarked, taking the note from her. He glanced down and read it quickly. It was s decent drive away, but it wouldn't interfere with any of his plans for the day.

"I pride myself on my organization," Rarity said proudly.

"I can see. Well, I should head off then."

"Thank you again, darling."

"Aw, you're leaving, Tyr?" Sweetie Bell asked sadly.

Tyr smiled apologetically. "Sorry Sweetie. I got work to do."

"Okay…"

The look of disappointment on her face was too much for Tyr. "Actually…" He murmured, thinking quickly. It was something he didn't normally do, but he figured he'd make an exception for the young girl. Rarity was pretty busy, so she couldn't spare much time for her sister. "Hey, Rarity. Would you mind if I took Sweetie Bell with me?"

Rarity paused in her work, confusion on her face. "Take Sweetie Bell…? You don't mind her?"

"She's not hurting anything if she's only watching and asking questions," Tyr informed her with a chuckle. Plus, she's just be sitting around here, right?"

"I suppose that is true… I mean, if Sweetie wants to…"

"I do!" Sweetie Bell said hurriedly. "I wanna go with Tyr!"

"…Okay. Do whatever Tyr tells you to, okay?"

"Mmhm!"

"I'll take her by Sugarcube Corner or something later," Tyr told Rarity, letting the younger girl exit first. "I'll keep a good eye on her."

"Please do," Rarity said, a little bit of pleading in her voice. "She means well, but sometimes…"

"I got it, Rarity. I have younger sisters too, remember?"

"Fair enough…"

Tyr smacked his hands together suddenly. "Ah right, Rarity, could you do me a really big favor?"

"After fixing my sewing machine and taking Sweetie Bell off my hands, I wouldn't mind in the slightest, darling." Rarity smiled brightly. Sweetie Bell rolled her eyes and went downstairs with a loud groan. Tyr smirked a bit, but remembering what he was about to ask Rarity for shriveled up his smile quickly. He cleared his throat and tried to sound as serious as possible.

"Could you… make a collar?"

"…A collar? I didn't realize you had pets. I suppose it wouldn't be too hard, but why ask me?" Rarity frowned. "Couldn't you simply get one from a pet store?"

"It's not for a pet… exactly."

"Why, whatever do you mean?"

Tyr scratched at his head. "Um… it's for Chrys."

"…why in Celestia's name does Chrys want a collar!?"

"Look, it's probably best not to ask questions. Could you please make it for me?"

"Well, as long as you take good care of my sister."

Tyr gave her one last smile. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

He left then, catching up to Sweetie Bell as she waited beside his truck. As he approached, a thought occurred to him. With a sudden flick of his wrist, his magic flared forth and opened the passenger side door. "Oh!" Sweetie Bell yelped in surprise.

Tyr grinned. "Forgot I could do that?"

Sweetie Bell giggled. "Well…Yeah, kinda."

He helped her up into the truck before jogging around to the driver side. Once they both had their seatbelts on, Tyr pulled away. As they drove, Tyr found the young girl watching the town slip by with undisguised interest. Girl must not ride in a truck like his often, he thought. He took a moment to glance at her when they stopped at a stoplight. Unlike her sister, Sweetie had a less refined approach to style. That wasn't to say the girl dressed casually like Applebloom, but Sweetie Bell didn't go to the lengths her sister did to look good. Her curly pink and grey hair fell loosely around her small shoulders, and her green eyes were untouched by any makeup. She was a cute kid, Tyr had to admit. Sweetie Bell watched the scenery outside the window for a while before turning to her older friend. "Hey, Tyr?"

"What's up?" He asked.

"Can I turn on the radio?"

"Sure."

Sweetie Bell scooted forward to turn on the radio. An upbeat, peppy song started to play. "Oh! I love this song!" She exclaimed happily. Tyr found out just how much when the girl began to sing. Instead of the innocent, untrained voice of a young girl that Tyr was expecting, the strong voice of an experienced singer suddenly came out of Sweetie Bell's mouth. To Tyr's surprise, Sweetie Bell sounded as good as the actual singer of the song, if not better. Plus, she seemed to really be into it. He listened quietly, not commenting until she finished singing. It wasn't until she was done that she realized she was with another person, and blushed heavily.

"Embarrassed?" Tyr asked playfully.

"Yes!" She squeaked.

"Don't be! Your voice is beautiful, Sweetie Bell."

"It's not that great…"

Tyr shook his head. "You could be a professional singer with that kind of voice, plus you really looked like you enjoyed yourself."

"I mean, I like singing…" Sweetie Bell told him.

"But you don't think it's your special talent?"

"I mean, everyone can sing…"

"But not as well as you. That's something I'd call a gift."

"I dunno…"

"I don't know about you, but I believe being yourself is always the best policy."

Sweetie Bell looked over at Tyr. He was focused on driving, but there was still a small smile on his face. Be herself? "That's harder than it sounds," She said quietly, low enough that he didn't hear her.

They pulled up in front of a small apartment building. "Well, let's head on in. Stay close, okay?"

"Okay." They got out of the truck, Tyr leading the way with Sweetie Bell close behind. Tyr glanced at the directions Rarity had given him, heading up a few flights of stairs and eventually ending up outside of a simple wooden door with the numbers 626 written on it.

"Well… this is the place," Tyr said. He reached out and tentatively knocked on the door. No one answered for a long time. "Are they home…?"

The question was barely off his lips when the door swung open and a short, slender girl appeared. Her short, spiked hair was a bright blue with highlights of a lighter shade running through it. A pair of rose colored sunglasses obscured her eyes. She frowned. "Uh… who are you?"

Despite the fact that the girl was dressed in nothing but a short t-shirt and panties, Tyr smiled and kept his eyes on her face. "Uh, I'm Tyr. Rarity said someone here needed me?"

The girl lowered her face so that her sunglasses could fall away. Her magenta eyes focused on him. " _You're_ Tyr?"

"That's me."

The girl leaned back as another voice called from inside. "Vinyl, who is at the door?" The voice was a bit smoother and softer. Vinyl, as Tyr now had a name for her, glanced back.

"It's that guy Rarity told you about, Tavi," Vinyl said. She glanced back over at Tyr before replacing her sunglasses.

"Ah, that's good—Wait, Vinyl, why on earth are you answering the door wearing _that?_ "

"I was comfortable," Vinyl protested, moving aside and letting Tyr and Sweetie Bell enter. "I don't think he minds, anyway."

Tyr looked around. The apartment was covered from wall to wall with music paraphernalia, musical instruments, and even some pages of sheet music were scattered about. There was a large L shaped couch on one side of the large living room, and a large TV was facing it. Two women were sitting there, both turning when Tyr entered. One of them, a blonde, gasped in shock as he came in. Her companion, a woman with dark blue hair and pink highlights, glared at her. "Honestly," A woman with dark greyish hair said with a frown, folding her arms. "How on earth can you greet people at the door like that…?"

"At least I'm wearing something," Vinyl shot back.

"Maybe you should have opened the door completely naked," The blonde murmured.

"Lyra!" The other girl on the couch admonished. "How could you suggest something like that?"

"Oh, come now, Bon-Bon! You can't deny you wouldn't want him all to yourself."

"What? No!" Bon-Bon blushed. "I-I mean, he is attractive, but I'm not interested in him like that!"

The gray haired girl sighed. "You all…" She turned to Tyr. "Sorry about them. I do what I can to get them to be somewhat acceptable members of society…"

Tyr chuckled softly. "I'm friends with Pinkie Pie."

"…I won't complain then. I'm Octavia Melody."

"Tyr Hymir. Nice to meet you." They shook hands. She was a professional, Tyr realized. Plus, she had strong hands that were also surprisingly soft. "…You play an instrument?"

Octavia's face broke into a small smile. "You can tell just by touching my hands?"

"I've worked with instrumentalists before."

"I see. I play the cello."

"Ah, nice. So, what needs to be repaired?"

"Ooh, he's a handyman?" Lyra purred. "I know what he could get hands on with, if you know what I mean…"

"Lyra!" Bon-Bon admonished again.

"I try to ignore her," Octavia murmured, turning away. "Vinyl needed some repairs on her turntables before her gig tonight."

"Oh, sweet!" Vinyl grinned. "I normally do this sort of thing myself, but this one is out of my expertise.

"I'll see what I can do," Tyr promised.

"Why does Vinyl get to be alone with the guy?" Lyra complained. "She might try to snap him up!"

"Uh, if I can interject," Tyr said, but didn't get the chance.

"I'm not snapping anybody up!" Vinyl protested, before giving Tyr a once over. "Although…"

"Lyra, Vinyl stop!" Bon-Bon said. Seems the voice of reason was often ignored in this place, Tyr thought to himself.

Lyra pouted. "You never let me go after the cute guys!"

"So," Vinyl said, turning to Tyr as Lyra and Bon-Bon began bickering. She smiled. "You taken?"

"That's what I've been trying to say," Tyr said with a sigh. "I already have a girlfriend."

"Aw, that sucks. Oh well."

Octavia sighed loudly and shook her head. The motion caused her to notice Sweetie Bell. "Wait a moment… I recognize you."

"Me?" Sweetie Bell squeaked, surprised. Tyr hadn't noticed, but the young girl had suddenly gotten shy around all these new people.

"Yes… You're Rarity's little sister, aren't you?"

"Um… Yes, I am." She coughed a little. "I'm, um… Sweetie Bell."

"Oh, Rarity got him!?" Lyra exclaimed. "Oh, that's not fair at all!"

Tyr let out a sigh and went over to where Vinyl's turntables were located. The DJ followed, a smile on her face. "You snagged Rarity? Nice one."

"I didn't snag Rarity," Tyr pointed out. He personally couldn't believe that same misunderstanding was happening again. _And Rarity wasn't even there_.

Sweetie Bell nodded. "Tyr isn't dating my sister!"

Thank goodness for his new little friend helping out. However, Lyra was adamant. "Then why are you here?" She demanded.

"Rarity is still a friend," Tyr said, trying his best to explain things. "Sweetie Bell wanted to watch me work."

"So you're friends with Rarity?" Vinyl thought for a moment. "So that means you have to be friends with the other five, right?"

Tyr figured she meant Twilight and the others. Seems the six of them were pretty well known among Equestrians. "That is true, but what does that have to do with—"

"So one of _them_ caught your fancy, huh?"

"Uh… what? No, that's not—" Tyr couldn't exactly lie about that one: each of the girls was pretty attractive, and he could be forgiven for having some inappropriate thoughts about them. But before he could clarify, Lyra cut him off again.

"Which one, which one?" Lyra bounced up and down eagerly. Seems she got over not being able to win his heart pretty quickly.

"Lyra, honestly!" Bon-Bon said, exasperated.

"My money is on either Applejack or Fluttershy," Vinyl said. "Or maybe he's into the intellectual types, like Twilight?"

"None of them," Tyr said defensively.

"So maybe Pinkie Pie then?"

Lyra frowned. "You couldn't have possibly gone after Rainbow Dash, could you?"

Tyr looked over to Octavia for help. The cellist had already sat down at the kitchen table, focused on the piles of sheet music in front of her. She wasn't going to be much assistance. Sweetie Bell was confused as well, slipping into silence at the two women heavily questioned Tyr. "I'm not dating any of them."

"Then who?" Bon-Bon asked, giving in to her curiosity.

Tyr sighed. "Luna. My girlfriend is Luna."

The room fell silent. Even Octavia looked up from her music, a confused frown on her face. "You don't mean _Princess_ Luna, do you?" She asked slowly.

"Princess of the Night and all that?" Vinyl added.

"Former Nightmare Moon?" Lyra murmured.

Tyr frowned. As far as he was aware, Luna used Nightmare Moon as her alias whenever they played games online. He hadn't heard anyone call her that outside of games, however, and the way Lyra said it… "Nightmare Moon?"

"You don't know," Bon-Bon murmured.

"What is it I don't know?"

"Nightmare Moon was what Luna called herself after she came back from a thousand year exile on the moon," Octavia said. "She tried to envelop all of Equestria in an eternal night. Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to defeat her."

"Elements of Harmony…?" Tyr had heard the six girls referred to as such, and thought maybe they had been titles of some kind. He had only been half right.

"Well, there isn't anything to worry about right?" Bon-Bon asked nervously. "Nightmare Moon was banished, and Princess Luna is back to normal, right?"

Octavia shrugged. "As far as we know. Princess Luna went out of her way to endear herself to the populace afterwards."

"So it really isn't all that big of a deal," Vinyl said with a big grin. "On top of that, Tyr snagged royalty! That's more so why I'm surprised."

"I see…" Tyr murmured, going back to what he was doing. Luna had been evil at one point? He remembered what she had told him so long ago. She had been jealous of her sister, she had told him. He chuckled ever so softly. What did it matter, really? He loved the girl, despite her faults.

"So, Sweetie Bell," Octavia said, trying to change topics. "Are you into music?"

Sweetie Bell jumped at being addressed. "M-Me? I mean… I um… I sing a little…"

"You sing?" Bon-Bon asked, surprised.

"I mean, I sing sometimes…"

"Yeah, I remember now!" Vinyl said. You and your friends did that talent show thing, didn't you?"

Octavia seemed oddly interested. "Would you mid singing for us?"

Sweetie Bell went pale. "Sing? In front of all of you?"

"I heard you had a really good voice. I'd like to hear for myself."

"I…I um…"

"I'm finished," Tyr said, straightening up. "The rotary gears were shifted out of place. Try not to work them too hard, will ya?"

"I'll try," Vinyl promised with a lopsided grin. She went over and began hooking stuff up. "So, Sweetie Bell, I think I can find something you can sing for us."

"But… But…!" Sweetie Bell looked to Tyr for help.

"Remember what I said," He said quietly.

Be yourself. Sweetie Bell's panic didn't start to go away until the music began to play. Both she and Tyr were surprised to hear that it was the same song as the one she had been singing on the way over. As the first chorus began to start, Sweetie's nervousness fell away and she began to sing, her eyes focused on Tyr's soft smile.

-x-

"Whose home is this?" Luna asked, as she, Celestia, Cadance, and Chrys got out of Celestia's car. The house they stood in front of was an older looking house, albeit quite unassuming. It sat at the end of a street at the very back of a neighborhood, just shy of being in the woods behind it. Celestia knocked on the door.

"A friend my faithful student introduced me to," Celestia offered as explanation. They waited for a moment before there was the sound of rustling from behind the door. The door opened then, revealing a dark skinned woman with striped gray and black hair and dressed in a simple wrap tied at the waist with a sash. Tribal looking tattoos covered her visible skin, and her blue eyes fell upon them with a mixture of amusement and surprise.

"Why, if it is not the Princess and her companions waiting at my door; I do not believe I have had this pleasure before." The woman's low voice was lilting and almost sounded like she was singing a song as she spoke.

"Zecora," Celestia said in greeting. "I believe it has been a long time since we spoke."

"Yes, indeed it has, Princess Celestia," Zecora said with a smile. "It has been ever since we left Equestria. Now, to what do I owe this visit? If it was an occasion, I hope I did not miss it."

She moved aside to let them enter. The inside of her home was decorated with numerous trinkets of varying designs, mostly tribal in appearance. She motioned them over to a low table surrounded by cushions, and they each took a seat. "Well, it's funny you should ask about an occasion…" Celestia said with a smile. Zecora raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Celestia simply looked over to Luna.

"I was hoping you had a remedy to soothe an upset stomach," Luna said slowly.

Zecora thought for a moment. "Remedies and cures I have in stock, more than I care to give an offhand thought. But if it is an upset stomach you seek to cure, wouldn't a normal medicine do for sure?"

"Well, going to a doctor is almost out of the question…"

"Is it a secret you wish to keep? If it is private, I promise not to pry too deep."

"I…" Luna blushed heavily. "…I'm pregnant."

Zecora blinked in surprise before a wide grin crossed her face. "Congratulations are in order, Princess of the Night! May a happy future be well within your sight!"

"Thank you very much, Zecora. But the problem is that I have not told the man whose child it is yet."

"Why would you not tell him such happy news? Are you afraid he will not share your views?"

"…Something like that."

"She's trying to avoid piling on stress," Chrys said shortly. "He already has one child to worry about already."

"As well as an overprotective cat," Luna snapped at the Changeling. Chrys narrowed her eyes but didn't respond.

"Regardless," Celestia said, heading off the argument. "My dear sister was looking for something that would allow her to endure to morning sickness she had been feeling."

Zecora stood up and went over to a nearby cabinet. "I believe I may have something among my potions and brews; a remedy or cure-all that you surely could use. But even though your wish to hide is known to me, won't it be easy for him in time to see?"

"I told you so," Cadance said.

"I believe it is a bit early for that," Celestia chuckled.

"I know I can't hide it forever," Luna said quietly. "I just… want to wait for the right time."

"In my experience, the right time is only a lie," Zecora said sadly. "That will never be true, no matter what we try." Before anyone could ask what she meant, she pulled a small violet vial out of her cabinet. "Here you are Princess, the potion you asked for; more potent and efficient than any you could buy in a store."

Luna took the offered vial. "I thank you for your generosity, Zecora."

"A single sip a day is all you will require, any more than that and you may…" She smirked. "Soil your attire."

Luna blushed while the other women suppressed amused giggles. "I will heed your advice," She said evenly. "Thank you again."

Celestia stood up, prompting the others to do so as well. "Well, we should be on our way. Thank you again for your help, Zecora."

Zecora smiled. "I am always available to help someone in need, so do not hesitate to come to me with all speed."

They all nodded and wished the medicine woman well before exiting her home. "She's quite pleasant to speak to," Cadance said as they got into Celestia's car.

"That whole rhyming thing puts me off," Chrys muttered.

"She wasn't native to Equestria," Celestia said. "Perhaps where she was from, that is how everyone speaks."

"Seems uselessly difficult to me."

As they got on their way, Luna looked out the window, running her fingers over the smooth glass of the medicine vial. She had promised to tell Tyr soon, but how soon? When would be a good time to ask him…?

"I have an idea!" Cadance said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her.

"An idea about what, my niece?" Celestia asked.

"About when Luna could tell Tyr about being pregnant!"

Chrys scowled. "Must you be so excitable about it?"

"It's a really good idea!" Cadance pressed.

"Well, do not keep us in suspense," Celestia said.

"Well, what if Luna told Tyr on his birthday? That way, it would be like a 'happy birthday' gift sort of thing!"

"That…" Luna paused. "That is actually not a bad idea."

"See? And it'll be his birthday, so he's bound to be in a really good mood anyway!"

"I believe Cadance has hit on a winning solution," Celestia said with a smile.

Luna thought about it. Telling Tyr on his birthday was a sound plan. As long as it wasn't too far in the future, and she hadn't begun showing… It could work. "A question, if I may," Chrys said suddenly.

"What is it?" Cadance asked, narrowing her eyes. "Trying to poke holes in my idea?"

"Not particularly."

"Then what is it?"

"There is one glaringly obvious oversight."

"…What?"

"Do any of you know when Tyr's birthday is?"

Silence. Luna sighed and rested her head in her hands. "…Damn it."

-x-

The room had fallen completely silent as the song ended, with Sweetie Bell letting out her breaths long and slow. A heavy blush rushed to her cheeks as she looked around. The girls were staring at her with wide eyes, while Tyr was still smiling, albeit very widely. "…Was I okay?" She asked softly.

"Okay?" Vinyl asked. "Just okay? No sister, you were amazing!"

"Your voice is… just impossibly good," Octavia murmured. "I have only heard singers that good in professional choirs…"

"You've got a real talent there, Sweetie Bell," Lyra said. "You enjoy it, you're good at it, and… I think you should look at your hand."

Sweetie Bell frowned and held her hand up for a closer inspection. Her mouth dropped open, and she ran over to Tyr. "Tyr! Tyr! Tyr!"

"Whoa now, Sweetie Bell, what's up?" He frowned, confused at the girl's sudden excitement.

"Look!" She shoved the back of her hand into his face. On the back of Sweetie Bell's hand was the image of a microphone set behind a pink heart. "My Cutie Mark!"

"See?" He patted her head. "I told you that being yourself was better than trying to be something else."

She hugged him, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you so much, Tyr."

"I didn't do much. I just pointed you in the right direction."

"Aw, isn't that just the cutest," Lyra giggled.

"Well, we've hung around here long enough," Tyr said. "We should get going."

As they moved to the door, Vinyl tapped Sweetie Bell on the shoulder. "Come by anytime to jam with us, alright?"

Sweetie Bell smiled widely. "Sure!"

They said their goodbyes and headed back to the truck. Sweetie Bell had a little skip in her step, not even reacting as Tyr used his magic to open the truck doors again. Well, he couldn't really blame her, he thought with a small chuckle. She had finally achieved something that she had always dreamed of, and knowing what her personal talent was probably made her extremely confident. It wasn't until they were headed towards Sugarcube Corner that she suddenly frowned. "Hey, Sweetie Bell, what's up?" Tyr asked, a little worried.

"I… I just thought about it… but what will the girls think?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… we were trying to get our Cutie Marks together and all… and now I went and got mine all by my lonesome."

Tyr smiled. "I doubt those two would hold it against you. You guys have been friends for a while, right? They'll be there for you, and all you have to do is be there for them."

"…Okay. I'll take your advice." Her smile returned again. "Thanks, Tyr."

"No problem. Now, let's get ourselves something to eat, alright?"

"Okay!"

* * *

 **The Library is going back to sleep for a while, and wishes you a Good Day. look forward to the next update, and don't hesitate to leave a comment!**


	20. Chapter 19: Structurally Sound

**Here's the chapter for the week! To be perfectly honest, I'm a bit surprised at myself being able to put out a chapter a week.**

 **Despite this one being on the short side.**

 **It's still good! Honest!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Structurally Sound

"Anyone hungry?" Celestia asked as they pulled up to a stoplight.

"I could go for some food," Cadance said.

"As would I," Luna agreed.

"Oh yes, don't worry about me. Maybe there will be a convenient family there being all lovey-dovey with each other," Chrys said derisively.

"If it would make you feel better, you can sit in my lap and I can baby you," Cadance offered.

"No thank you."

"Oh, come on~ I'm the Princess of Love, after all…"

"I said no thank you!"

While Cadance teased Chrys, Celestia was deep in thought for a moment. "We are close by Sweet Apple Acres. Perhaps Applejack and her family would be willing to have us over for dinner."

"That sounds like fun," Cadance said. "Plus, the Apple Family makes some amazing apple pies!"

"Are they really that good?" Chrys asked, a little interested. Despite not being able to keep real food down, she could still appreciate taste.

"Yeah, they are!"

"Hm. I suppose maybe I should try some."

"Won't that make you sick?" Luna asked. It was obvious she was worried, something that Chrys was a little surprised to notice.

"I will only taste. If it is a little bit, it will not cause me to be sick," She assured her friend.

"Oh, you two seem closer now," Cadance said, glancing over at her aunt. "Something nice happen?"

"Tyr demanded it of us," Chrys said defensively, turning her head away so that no one would catch her blush. Luna did, but avoided saying anything. Chrys attempts to glance over at her secretly betrayed that she didn't think badly of the Night Princess; she was only keeping up appearances.

"Well, we're here," Celestia said cheerily. They all looked out of the windows to see Sweet Apple Acres stretching out before them.

"No matter how many times I see it, the sheer size of this place amazes me," Cadance said softly as they got out of the car. The smell of apples was on the air, along with the pleasant smell of worked earth. As they moved towards the main house, they spotted Applejack talking with her big brother. AJ didn't seem too pleased.

"So you're saying there's nothing left for us to do?" AJ asked.

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied in his usual manner.

"All the apples we picked are being stored?"

"Eeyup."

"You ain't just telling me that are ya?"

"Nope."

"…alright then…" She pushed her hat up as she glanced over, seeing the princesses and Chrys approach. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open for a split second before she recovered. "Oh dear Celestia! Princess, what are you doing here?"

"We were in the neighborhood, and thought we might stop by for dinner." Celestia said smoothly. She nodded in greeting to Big Mac, who was still a bit stunned.

"O-of course! We'd love to have ya!" Applejack beamed. "Come on in!"

"Thank you very much, dear Applejack," Luna said. They began to follow the two Apple siblings towards their house when suddenly AJ cursed.

"Tartarus!" She groaned, smacking her palm against her forehead. "Applebloom is still out at the Crusader's clubhouse. I gotta go get her…"

"I'll go," Chrys said softly. Everyone turned to look at her. "What? I was not planning to eat anyway."

"I mean… if you want to… go ahead. Those kids seem to have taken to ya pretty well."

Chrys extended her gossamer wings and took off, flying high over the orchard. "This place truly does stretch on forever…" She muttered. Damn apples. They literally are everywhere… A strange flash of pink caught her eye. "Is that it?"

She landed gracefully a short way away. The Crusader's clubhouse was a pink and red treehouse situated in a small clearing in the orchard. As Chrys landed beside it, even she could admire its construction. As she moved towards the treehouse, her foot bumped into an apple sitting on the ground. Curious, she picked it up. It was a bright red, and shiny, and hard on the outside. If she actually were capable of eating an apple, she would have said it looks absolutely delicious.

"You might not wanna eat that," A young voice called out to her.

Chrys looked up from her inspection of the apple to see Applebloom watching her from the window of the clubhouse, a grin on her face. "It seems fine to me," she countered.

"It's got worms in it."

Chrys frowned and looked back to the apple. "How can you tell?"

"I've been around apples my whole life!" Applebloom giggled. "I can tell when an apple is bad or not."

"I suppose that is fair…" With a simple thought to change her hands, Chrys hooked her claws into the apple and split it straight down the middle. To her mild surprise, she found a wriggling worm inside of it. She looked around, finding more fallen apples. "Are all these apples infested with worms as well?"

"Nah. Just that one."

Chrys pondered the irony of managing to find the only worm infested apple in the entire clearing. It was an apt metaphor—the Changeling, who disguises herself to hide her innermost feelings, finds the one apple with a worm inside of it in a field full of shining apples. "Damnable fruit," she muttered, tossing the apple aside. "How dare you mock me."

"What was that?" Applebloom was too far away to hear Chrys's indignation

"Nothing you need concern yourself with." Chrys sighed, kicking the apple away. She looked up at the treehouse. "What are you doing?"

"I'm fixing the window up here," Applebloom said, pushing the window in and out. "It was squeaky, so I had to replace the hinges."

"…Did you build that structure?"

"Yeah, I did!" Applebloom said proudly. She paused, and thought for a moment. "Wanna come up?"

"I suppose I could." Chrys took the offer and flared her wings, flapping them gently to propel her the short distance to the treehouse. As she landed, the balcony creaked slightly, but held her weight.

She stopped to admire the building from up close. A lot of care had gone into its construction, and looked as if it had even been done by a professional. Noticing her appreciative gaze, Applebloom grinned proudly. Pride wasn't a bad emotion to taste, Chrys figured, especially not such innocent pride. She decided to stroke it a bit. "I cannot believe you did this all by yourself."

"Well, Scoots and Sweetie Bell helped out too…" Chrys smiled. A little modesty? How cute. But she could not truly blame the girl. She valued her friends quite highly.

"And exactly how much did they contribute?" Chrys was curious.

"Well…" Applebloom scratched at her head. "Not a lot in particular… I mean, Sweetie Bell helped with the colors and such, and Scoots painted the roof…"

"But the majority of construction was done by you."

"…yeah." She blushed, looking down at her feet.

Chrys smiled kindly. "May I come in?"

"Oh! Yeah, come on in!"

Applebloom opened the door, letting Chrys inside. She had to duck a bit to come in, and found the inside of the treehouse to be just as well decorated. She took a seat on the floor, smoothing her skirt out as she did so. Applebloom went over to the window again and began working on it again. Chrys watched her for a bit, before letting her eyes wander. She caught sight of a long list rolled up on the nearby desk. With barely a thought, she used her magic to lift it off the desk and bring it closer. On it, written in the scrawling handwriting of a child, was a long list of activities. "…What is this, Applebloom?"

"Hm?" Applebloom stopped what she was doing and turned to look. "Oh! That's our Crusadin' list!"

Chrys frowned. "Crusading?"

"Yeah!" Applebloom bounced over to her, plopping herself down in her lap without a thought. "We made a list of all the things we wanna try doing to get our Cutie Marks!"

Chrys thought for a moment. Despite the strange sensation of having someone small sit in her lap, she was curious about the idea of a Cutie Mark. "What is a Cutie Mark, exactly?"

"It's a mark that we Equestrians get when we realize our special talent!"

"So… an indication of what you are meant to do?"

"Yes! Like my big sis got those apples, and it shows how good she is with 'em!"

Chrys thought for a moment. Applejack did show skill with all aspects of working with apples… "Hm. An interesting concept."

"Do you have a Cutie Mark, Chrys?"

"No, I do not believe I do." She frowned. "I do not believe any Changelings had a Cutie Mark. We did not have particular talents, to be honest."

"No talents?"

"We functioned as a hive mind," Chrys explained, not completely believing that the young girl understood what she was saying. "I delegated what everyone did, and each of them followed their jobs. We worked as one."

"That sounds… sad."

"Sad? We knew exactly what we would do, even from birth. There was no confusion."

"So you were just supposed ta be a queen from the moment you were born?"

"Yes, I was. Is that strange?"

"I mean…" Applebloom looked up at her, green eyes full of sadness. "You never had a choice, did ya?"

"I…" Chrys paused. Choice? She had never really had a choice, did she? She had been born to be queen, taught to be queen, and raised to be queen. At no point did she find it that unusual, not until this little girl had asked her. Every Changeling had been born to serve, to do whatever task she gave them, as was her right as queen. None had ever complained—or never had the idea that they could. Suddenly, she was terrified. She had lived her entire life doing what she had been told and what she had been taught, and never once stopped to think if she _had_ to. Yes, she had been working to keep her kind alive and fed, but all her methods had been taught to her by the previous queen. Everything she was… had been taught to her. She felt the tears falling even before they fell from her face. Applebloom's eyes widened in shock.

"Chrys! I'm sorry, did I say somthin' that hurt ya feelings?"

"I… I've never chosen," She said softly, rubbing at her face. Damnable emotions, making her cry in front of this little girl. "Everything I have ever done has been what I have been taught."

"But ya chose to live with Tyr, didn't ya?"

Chrys blinked. "…I…I did. I chose him as my Master."

Applebloom smiled. "Then you're making your own path! My sister always says you should follow your heart."

"Your sister seems like the type of person to say that."

"Yeah, she's the reason I put this place together."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Applebloom looked back down at the list still held by Chrys's magic. "Back in Ponyville, she gave me her old treehouse to fix up for the Cute Mark Crusaders. I fixed it up all by myself, but then the dog gone Merge happened, and I had to start from scratch."

Chrys was quiet for a moment. She lifted the list closer, scanning it quickly. "Hm."

"What is it?"

"I do not see construction on this list."

"Construction? But when we did the clubhouse the first time, we didn't get our Cutie Marks."

"From what you told me, you get this Mark through self-discovery, correct? Then why would it occur if you are actively doing activities?"

"Well… We figured if we tried a lot of things, we might get them."

"Have you ever considered if you had to find it… on your own?" The notion seemed to confuse the young girl. "Think about it. If this talent of yours is something you truly enjoy and something you are good at… I would hazard a guess that you have already found your talent."

"I'm good at… building things?" She scrunched up her nose. "But if that's my special talent, why hasn't my cutie mark shown up yet?"

"Because you have tried to force it. You love building things, don't you?"

"Yes! I do." She blinked. "I…I love making things? I…" She didn't get to finish her sentence as a soft glow came from her back. She shivered.

"Let me see," Chrys ordered softly, reaching down and lifting the back of the girl's shirt up. To her surprise, there was indeed a mark there. A symbol of an apple set over a hammer was on her leftmost shoulder blade. "It is true. You now have your Cutie Mark."

Applebloom squee'd. "I wanna see it, I wanna see!"

"Hold on, Applebloom," Chrys said with a chuckle. She levitated another piece of paper and a pencil over, and began using her magic to transcribe the picture. After a minute, she had an accurate depiction of the Cutie Mark. She handed it to Applebloom, who stared at it in wonder.

"My… my Cutie Mark…" She said it with reverence and awe. Chrys let her shirt fall back into place as the girl stood up.

"It seems you know what to do with your life now, little Applebloom."

Before Chrys could even say another word, the farm girl had spun on the spot and leapt on her, arms wrapping around Chrys's neck. She tried to push her off defensively, until she realized the girl was simply hugging her. "Thank you so much Chrys! You're such a great friend!"

A friend? Chrys smiled. "I am slowly learning. Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to learn."

"I gotta go show my big sis and my big brother!" She rushed to the door, only to pause after a second.

"What seems to be the matter?"

"My friends… Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell…" She frowned. "We made a promise to get our Cutie Marks together…"

Chrys got up slowly and made her way over to the distraught girl. She put her arms around her comfortingly. "If they are as close to you as you say, then I believe they will simply be happy for you."

"Ya think?"

"Yes. But for now, we should get going. We should get back to your house before your sister comes searching."

"Oh, horse-feathers, you're right!" She rushed out and slid down a rope to the ground, Chrys following using her wings. Applebloom shot off towards the house at a breakneck speed. With a small chuckle, she began to follow.

"I didn't realize you were so good with kids."

Chrys stopped in her tracks. The smile she had faded rapidly, only to be replaced by a slight scowl. "You were eavesdropping?"

Celestia came forward from the shade of the tree she had been standing under, wings flaring slightly as she walked forward. "I apologize, but Applejack was beginning to worry. I offered to come see what was keeping you."

"Well, you've done what you came to do."

"Chrys."

She paused at that. As far as she could readily remember, the Sun Princess had avoided using her nickname for as long as she could remember. "…What is it?"

"I apologize for treating you harshly. And for the things that I—"

"Don't." Chrys said softly, yet firmly. "I should be the one apologizing. And above all… thanking you."

"Thanking me?" Celestia looked confused.

"You allowed me a chance to continue living. A chance to meet someone worthy of Bonding to. You let me find…" She paused. "…My first friend."

Celestia looked surprised while she spoke, before allowing her face to change to a smiling one. "I'm glad you have made friends, Chrys. And, you are making more, it seems."

"Bah, stop acting all motherly." She turned away again, only making it a few more steps before a pair of long slender arms wrapped around her from behind. "w-what?"

"I thought you enjoyed emotion like this," Celestia cooed, giggling softly in her ear. "Maybe a mother figure would be good for you."

"I…" Chrys trailed off. "…I don't even remember my true mother anyway."

"Then, would it be so bad to think of me as such?"

"How could I…"

"I am a few thousand years your senior," Celestia reminded her. "And a lot of my subjects look to me as a mother figure."

"…You're really offering this?"

"If you are considering. I've done so little to try and help you, so I feel that maybe this will help our relationship. You didn't have much contact with the previous Queen, correct?"

"No. Outside of instilling the desire to feed the hive, there was nothing else."

"So. How about spending some time with Momma Tia?"

Chrys glared back at her. "You're enjoying this."

"I can't say I'm not. But you haven't pushed me off yet."

"…Shut up." Chrys didn't want to admit that she was enjoying the embrace. "Let's just go so you all can eat your damn pie."

"Alright." Celestia let her go and began walking back. Chrys, momentarily disappointed by the sudden lack of warmness around her neck, followed after a second later. They left the orchard, coming down to the side of the road so it was easier to navigate. Unlike Applebloom, who had already run off, they didn't know how to get back to the house so naturally. Chrys was about to suggest they fly, but Celestia seemed a bit happy to be walking. She kept silent, instead quickening her pace to catch up with the solar princess. They walked along for a minute or two before Chrys noticed something. She stopped in her tracks, listening. Celestia paused a few steps ahead, looking back at her. "Something the matter?"

"I thought I heard something." Chrys glanced around, eyes settling on a small box set on the side of the road. She went directly towards it. Celestia followed, a small frown on her face.

"What is in that box?"

Chrys gently opened the box, and felt her breath catch in her throat. A milk white kitten lay curled up inside of it, desperately trying to hide under a piece of paper with the words 'Need a Good Home' written in permanent marker. From the other small bits of fur in the box, there had been a number of kittens in this box, and the white one was the last. She gently reached in and stroked the little animal's back comfortingly. "Do not fear me, little one. I am not going to hurt you."

Celestia reached them then, and gasped slightly at seeing the kitten. "Oh my… It seems that whoever this kitten's previous owner was, they could not care for it anymore…"

The kitten, easily convinced that Chrys meant it no harm, began to lick at her fingers. It meowed sadly. Chrys let the creature do as it please before turning to Celestia. "This… kitten… what will happen to it if we leave it here?"

"Perhaps someone will come by for it. Or… no one." Celestia thought for a moment. "We could always take it to Applejack and her family. Maybe they can take it in?"

"Perhaps." Chrys missed the smile on Celestia's face as she scooped the kitten up into her arms. It squirmed a bit, surprised at the sudden movement, but eventually calmed down and snuggled up against Chrys. "It is most likely hungry."

"We can get it something to eat when we get there," Celestia assured her. They began to walk again. Now, the silence was broken every now and then by little soft meows by the kitten in Chrys's arms. The Changeling seemed more focused on keeping the kitten comfortable than watching where she was going. However, the Princess of the Sun made sure to keep her out of harm's way. They made it back to the Apple home just as AJ was coming outside.

"Well, reckon I don't have to go looking for ya now, do I?" She said with a chuckle. "Applebloom came in not too long ago, and I was wondering why y'all hadn't come back with her."

"We had a small conversation," Celestia offered as explanation. AJ simply nodded, before gesturing to the door.

"Well, come on in."

They followed the country girl inside, finding everyone that was already there, admiring the new marking on Applebloom's back. "It seems you found her, sister," Luna said, glancing over at Chrys. "We were beginning to worry."

"We decided to walk back," Chrys said, sitting in a nearby chair. The kitten squirmed in her arms, trying to look around. The movement caught the attention of Applebloom, who immediately rushed over to see.

"Ooh! A kitten!" She said excitedly. The kitten wormed its way further against Chrys, frightened by the sudden attention.

"You're scaring it," She admonished, tapping the girl on the head lightly.

"Sorry."

"Where'd ya find that little thing?" Applejack asked, coming over to see as well. Luna and Cadance rose from their seats and joined them.

"It was in a box on the side of the road…" Chrys murmured. The kitten meowed again. "Oh! Applejack, do you have anything that I can feed this kitten?"

"It's hungry, huh? Well, I think we've got some milk around here. Big Mac! Bring me a plate and a carton of milk, will ya?"

Big Mac grunted and retrieved the objects for his sister. "Here you go," He said, handing them off.

"Thanks big brother." Applejack set the plate on the floor and opened the carton. As the smell of milk wafted into the air, the kitten began squirming around to find the source of it. Chrys set it down beside the plate as Applejack poured some milk into it. "There we go."

They all watched expectantly as the kitten sniffed at the milk a few times before gingerly tasting it with the tip of its tongue. Realizing it was safe, it began to happily lap at the milk. "Aw… it's so cute!" Applebloom giggled.

"It is quite adorable," Luna agreed. "Its white fur is quite pretty."

"Agreed." Celestia said.

"What do you plan to do with it?" Applejack asked.

Chrys was conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to leave the kitten with Applejack and her family. They were used to taking care of animals, so it would not be so difficult. On the other hand… She looked over at Celestia. "Would it be alright if… if I took the kitten?"

The silence in the room was surprisingly heavy. Applejack and the princesses took a long hard look at Chrys. "Would you be able to take care of a kitten, Chrys?" Cadance asked.

"You all act like I would kill it," She snapped. "If I needed any sort of help, I would ask Fluttershy for help."

"I mean, I'm not saying that… I was just wondering if you really wanted to."

Chrys looked down at the little kitten that was almost falling into the plate to get the last bit of milk. She smiled and picked it up, retrieving the plate as she did so. She tilted it as she set the kitten in her lap. "I would really like to take care of this kitten."

"Well, I see nothing wrong with it," Celestia said. "Chrys, you may keep the kitten."

She brightened. "T-thank you. I will take very good care of it."

The kitten meowed loudly, wriggling into Chrys's hands and demanding attention. She stroked the kitten's little head with one finger. "I reckon he's already taken with ya," Applebloom said, giggling.

"It would seem so."

"Well," Luna said. "I believe we were promised some pie? I have quite the craving for something sweet at the moment."

Applejack grinned. "Sugarcube, if you came here for sweet, you're gonna _get_ sweet."

-x-

"I love hanging out with Applejack," Cadance said as they all piled back into Celestia's car. The sun was setting as they began to drive away. "She's always so honest about everything."

"That's what it means to be the Element of Honesty," Celestia explained with a chuckle. "Although I am quite sure Applejack was like that before she gained the magic of her Element."

"I suppose we all enjoyed ourselves," Luna said quietly, glancing over at Chrys. The Changeling was focused on the sleeping kitten in her arms, gently rubbing its back. "You seem happy."

Chrys shot her a glare, but didn't say anything. They fell into another bout of silence as they continued riding, until they were stopped outside of Tyr's house. "It seems Tyr has already arrived home," Celestia said softly.

"I am not surprised," Luna murmured. "He didn't have that much to do…"

They got out of the car and headed inside. As they entered, they found Tyr sitting on the couch, Sherry lying in his lap. The pink haired girl was sleeping peacefully in his lap, occasionally shifting slightly as she dreamed. Tyr glanced over as they came in. "Oh, hey girls. Didn't realize you guys were having a girl's night out."

"It wasn't that in particular," Luna told him, moving to sit by him. "We simply went out to—"

"It was!" Cadance said, cutting her off. Luna realized how close she had come to spilling what they had gone out to do. If he had heard about their trip to Zecora's, it would have raised a lot of questions. A lot of questions she wasn't sure she was ready to answer. "We stopped by the Apples for pie and everything!"

"Hm, sounds like fun. I spent most of today with Sweetie Bell before we went to go see Sherry at Sugarcube Corner." He glanced down at his sleeping daughter and smiled. "She worked herself hard. Seems she's the inspiration for a lot of Pinkie's… 'creations' lately."

"You had Sweetie Bell with you?" Luna asked, surprised.

"She looked bored, so I took her along as I went to repair something for one of Rarity's friends." Tyr smiled. "I guess maybe it was a good thing."

"Why do you say that?" Celestia asked.

"Sweetie Bell got her Cutie Mark today."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Applebloom gained hers today as well."

"Yeah, I can imagine she was just excited as Sweetie Bell was." He glanced past Celestia. "Chrys. What are you doing?"

Chrys had been trying to quietly sneak past everyone and get upstairs. She had just managed to put her foot onto the first step when Tyr had called out to her. "I was… going upstairs."

"I can see that." He frowned. [Are you hiding something?]

[No, I—] She didn't get to finish the thought, as the little kitten hidden in her shirt meowed as loudly as it could.

"Was that… a cat?"

"…Yes." Chrys nodded slowly, coming over to where he was sitting and letting the kitten out of her shirt. Tyr blinked upon seeing the animal.

"You found a kitten?"

"It was in a box alongside the road. Celestia and I found it…" She blushed slightly as the kitten began licking at her fingers. "S-stop it, little Snow…"

"You named him already?"

"I… I saw the color of his fur and it came to me."

Tyr watched the small kitten nibbling and licking Chrys's fingers. After a moment, the animal looked over at him, its dark eyes meeting his silver ones. "You want to stay with Chrys, huh, Snow?"

The kitten meowed happily as it snuggled up to Chrys. "Seems like it really wants to be with her," Cadance said with a small laugh.

"It senses a kindred soul," Luna teased. Chrys shot her a look., causing her to laugh.

"Oh," Tyr said suddenly, "Speaking of cats…" He gestured over to a small box sitting on the table in front of him. "That's for you, Chrys."

"For me?" Chrys looked confused. She came around to the table and set Snow down on it before picking up the box. The kitten complained a bit at being put down, but got over it quickly as it began to explore. Tenderly, Chrys opened the box. A small gasp escaped her lips as the contents were revealed to her. "Is this…?"

She pulled out the object. It was a collar, just the right size to go around a human's neck, with leather outside and a softer fabric inside. It was black and silver, with a smaller version of Tyr's Cutie Mark stitched into it near the metal buckle. "I didn't ask Rarity to make it like that, but I guess it looks okay…"

"Can you… Can you put it on for me?"

Tyr frowned, but nodded. "I guess. If that's what you want, come over here." Chrys went over and knelt in front of him so that he didn't have to move and disturb Sherry. He took the collar from her, slipped it around her neck, and pulled it around until it was just barely touching her skin. "How's that?"

"Tighter."

Tyr pulled it just a little tighter. "Better?"

He was avoiding pulling it too tightly, she knew. Chrys shook her head. "Tighter."

Tyr obliged, a bit embarrassed at the scene the three princesses were watching from behind him. "How about now?"

"T-Tighter."

Tyr pulled the collar closed just enough that Chrys wasn't choking but could easily feel the weight of the collar on her neck. She smiled softly as he asked one final time, "Is it good?"

"Perfect," She said softly. Tyr swiftly buckled it and patted her head.

"Happy?"

"Elated." She took his hand and kissed it. "You know, I really wasn't kidding about liking the feeling of being owned… _Master_."

"Okay, this is starting to get too kinky even for my tastes," Cadance said, making a face. "And I enjoy love of all forms. Chrys might as well be the Princess of Eroticism at this point."

"Be careful, dear sister," Celestia said, putting a hand on Luna's shoulder. "We do not want you getting caught up in any strange fetishes."

Luna blushed so deeply it was as if her entire body turned red. "S-sister! How could you…!"

Tyr sighed, leaning back against the couch and mindlessly stroking Sherry's hair. He wasn't complaining exactly, for Chrys was very happy at receiving the collar, and because of the Bond he could not help but feel happy as well. Luna cuddled up to his side, and Chrys sat herself in front of him, playing with her new kitten. "Now isn't that an adorable sight," Celestia said with a smile.

"Yeah, it is," Cadance agreed. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she smiled. "Hey… maybe Shining and I should stay in a hotel tonight."

"Hm? Why would you do that? I thought Tyr had opened his home to you?"

"He did but… Hey, I want to have kids too!"

* * *

 **And that's that. Chrys secretly has a thing for kids. ^_^** **One last CMC member left, and I'm looking forward to it. Are you?**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I really look forward to reading all the reviews and comments left, so don't hesitate to tell me what you think. The Library welcomes all comers and turns none away. Hope you enjoyed it, and are looking forward to the next chapter. :D**


	21. Chapter 20: Delayed Flight

**I totally forgot to do my usual note when I post a chapter, thanking all of my readers and reviewers/commenters for taking the time to read my story. So now here I am, reposting/editing this chapter just so I had this here.**

 **How could the Library be so lax? I apologize profusely. I blame Youtube.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Delayed Flight

Ace adjusted his goggles and raised his P90 to shoulder height. After numerous firing tests with the submachine gun, he realized he liked the compact and ergonomic weapon. After the Merge, and finding that normal Equestrian weapons were highly outdated, he had jumped into weapons training almost immediately, becoming proficient in firearms in a short amount of time. He slid slowly into the arch of a doorway, making sure he couldn't be seen. As he did so, a familiar shock of rainbow colored hair passed into view. "She's gonna hate me for this," He chuckled, taking aim. With a soft depress of the trigger, the gun in his hand fired three times.

"Ow!" Came the response. "Damn it Ace!"

Ace laughed as Rainbow popped up, rubbing her shoulder with an angry look on her face. "Sorry babe, it was way too easy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hit!"

As Dash made her way to the sidelines of the airsoft grounds, he smiled to himself. He'd get a lot of talking to after the game was over, but he had noticed the smile on Dash's face while they were playing. She was enjoying herself. Unfortunately, with the sun setting, it was going to be the last match of the day. He pushed out from his spot and went hunting for the other players.

"You're really good at airsoft," Dash told him after the game, tossing him a bottle of water. He caught it neatly and sat down on the bench beside her.

"I mean, I am trained in weapon usage," He said with a chuckle. "You did well for your first time."

"Yeah, but I couldn't keep up with you." She twisted the cap off her own bottle of water and took a long, healthy swig. "But seriously, I didn't know airsoft was so active!"

"It really does get your adrenaline pumping, huh?"

"Haha! Yeah, it really does. Almost like flying, you know?"

"Yeah."

"Speaking of flying…" She grinned. "You fly really well, huh?"

"I was a Pegasus Guard," Ace said. "Excellent flight was in the job description."

"I can imagine. Guarding princess Celestia must have been a big time job."

"I mean, protecting the most powerful person in the world seemed kinda redundant to me at times…"

"Yeah, I mean, what did she need guards for anyway?"

"Well, we mainly just made sure she wasn't caught unawares. She was really powerful, but she wasn't omnipotent."

"Omni what now?"

"Omnipotent. All powerful."

"Jeez. You remind me of Egghead."

They left the airsoft facility and went outside. Ace spoke a bit with a couple of the guys outside while Dash waited on him. He came back over a minute later. "Sorry, I had to plan a few things for Flash. Who were you comparting me to again?"

"I was comparing you to Twilight. I call her Egghead."

"That's what you call Twilight? I can't believe she takes to well to that."

"I've been calling her that for so long I don't think it bothers her anymore."

Ace laughed. "That reminds me of when I used to call Flash 'Flashlight' back in basic training."

Dash almost choked on her water. "Flashlight? That's what you called him?"

"He used to hate it so much."

"I don't blame him!" Dash laughed. Then suddenly, her face took on a more mischievous grin. "So… You have any nicknames? Like, embarrassing ones."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "We actually close enough to share stuff like that?"

"We're apparently close enough to share bodily fluids."

"That's… That's something you don't come out and say out loud," Ace said, honestly embarrassed. Dash blushed a bit, showing that giving the statement was embarrassing for her too.

"Yeah, I kinda regret saying that now." She laughed slightly. She looked away from him, scratching the back of her neck.

Ace chuckled. "Hey, wanna grab something to eat?" He offered, attempting to change the subject.

Dash took another swig of her water. "Know someplace good around here?"

"There's a pizza place down the road a bit. We should be able to grab a couple slices before it gets too dark."

"Sounds cool. Let's go."

Dash went and got her bike, since it would be a bit of a walk. Ace left his car behind, since he wasn't too worried about anyone trying to steal it. They left the parking lot, quickly moving onto the sidewalk and heading down the road. The pizza place wasn't far, just like Ace had promised. "See? There it is. Rigoletto's."

"Italian?"

"According to the humans I've met, Italians make the best pizza."

"I'll be the judge of that."

They entered the pizza place. A tall, skinny brown haired man looked up from wiping down a table as they came in. "Ace!" He called out with a wide grin. "I was not expecting to see you come in with a lady."

"Yeah, whatever Ed." Ace grinned. "I'll have the usual."

"Coming right up!"

Ace led Dash over to a table near the back, pulling her chair out for her so she could sit. She whistled softly. "Aren't you just a gentleman?"

"I am a knight, after all," He said, taking his own seat.

"I see. So! You gonna answer my question?"

"What question?"

"The nickname, duh!"

"Ah… right. Well…" Ace thought for a moment. "I used to get a lot of broken bones back during basic training, so a lot of my mates started calling me…"

"What?"

"Brace Guard."

Dash stared at him. Her magenta eyes narrowed, then her lips curled into a small smile. "I-I'm guess that's cause you had to have a log of casts and stuff?"

"Yeah."

Dash couldn't hold it back any longer, and broke out into loud laughter. "That's rich!" She laughed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Rainbow _Crash_."

Dash's laughter stopped abruptly. She glared at him. "Don't call me that."

"Then don't call me Brace."

They sat there in silence for a bit before Dash spoke again. "Brace."

"Crash."

They both laughed then, and then their pizza came out. It was an extra-large cheese pizza with peppers and parmesan, and Ace licked his lips as Ed set it on the table. "Enjoy!" He said with a small flourish.

"Looks good as always, Ed. My compliments to Val."

Ed bowed slightly and went back to the kitchen. "Who's Val?" Dash asked, pulling a slice of pizza over to a separate plate. Long, gooey strands of cheese stretched from it, and steam wafted up from the heat. "Oh, goodness this looks good…"

"Val's the cook," Ace said, biting into his own piece. He let out a shaking, contented sigh. "Her pizza is _heavenly_."

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Dash teased.

"If I got a crush, it's on this pizza."

"I guess I gotta agree with you on that one."

They continued to eat, more conversation giving way to simple enjoyment of their food. Once they were about halfway through the huge pizza, Dash's phone began to ring, a soft orchestral piece beginning to play. Ace frowned at the sound. "Huh, never figured you for a classical sort of girl. Figured you'd be into rock or something."

"I am into rock," Dash said, flipping open her phone. She frowned down at her phone as she set down her slice of pizza. "It's Shy's ringtone. I gotta see what she wants."

"Nah, it's cool. Go ahead."

Dash hopped up from the table and went to the bathroom for privacy, answering her phone as she went. Ace went to grab another slice of pizza, but paused partway there. He sighed and sat back in his seat, eyes wandering over to the direction Dash had gone. He wouldn't say he missed her, but… He was really hoping things were changing between them. Seeing all the happy couples in his friends made him a bit jealous. Flash liked to joke that he was single because he was a skirt chaser, but he and his fellow guard knew that Ace hardly ever went after a girl he wasn't serious about.

And unfortunately, Ace was serious about Dash. She came back out, a small frown on her slightly tanned face. "Something up?" He asked.

"Shy needs me to come home and help her out with something," Dash said, brushing an errant lock of rainbow colored hair out of her face. "Sorry."

"Nah, you guys have been best friends forever, right?" Ace smiled. "It's cool."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. If you're worried about the pizza, I normally eat one this big by myself anyway."

Dash retrieved her half eaten slice. "Yeah, but this one is mine."

Ace laughed. "Yeah, yeah. You need a ride home?"

"Nah, I'll just take my bike." She smiled widely. "It's been cool, Ace. We should do this again."

Ace blinked. "O-of course!" Ace had to mask his happiness. Dash had essentially allowed him the opportunity to ask her out again. Score!

"I'll see you around, kay?"

"Yeah, see ya."

Dash grabbed her things and left, heading back to where she had hooked up her bike and took off, giving Ace one last wave as she left. Ace waved back before settling in to finish off the pizza. As lame as it was to be alone, the pizza was good enough to distract him. To be perfectly honest, Val's pizza could make a dying man forget all about his plight in life, it was honestly that good. He'd never tell the woman that to her face, though. He'd never hear the end of it. As he continued to eat, he noticed something going on outside. There were three people across the street, arguing about something. Two he didn't recognize—one man with blue and white hair and another with light silver—but the third he did. She was sitting on the ground, partially obscured by the other He'd know that violet hair anywhere. Motioning to Ed that he'd be right back, he headed outside. He'd been on the receiving end of a lot of so called 'tough guys' in training, and he could recognize a two on one anywhere.

He exited the pizza shop, running a hand through his hair as he walked over. "Hey, Scootaloo!" He called out, making his presence known.

Scootaloo looked over, a wave of relief crossing her face at seeing Ace. The two men she was facing down looked over as well, scowling at him. "Who is this?" The blue haired man snapped, scowling. Ace could have sworn he seemed familiar, but couldn't immediately place it. "Some random, scruffy peasant?"

"First off, I'm not scruffy," Ace said, defensively. "Second, what happened here?"

"They busted up my scooter!" Scootaloo said angrily. She was fighting back tears, Ace could see. That scooter was probably extremely important to her.

"That was more your fault instead of ours," The man said, scowl deepening.. " _You_ were the one going too fast on that stupid scooter of yours."

"It's not stupid!" Scootaloo growled. "And you caused it!"

"Yeah, like anyone will believe you, stupid little girl!"

Scootaloo turned to Ace, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "You believe me, right Ace?"

"You shouldn't mess with other people's stuff like that," Ace admonished, glancing over at the man. "So you should probably apologize."

"Apologize? Like I'd listen to what you tell me to do," The man puffed out his chest. "I am Prince Blueblood! I take no orders because I give them!"

Ace frowned. He hated dealing with people like this. Plus, this was Celestia's infamous nephew. Blueblood was as stuck up as his name implied, and never seemed to get tired of it. His eyes drifted up to the small crown Blueblood wore atop his head, and he smirked. "Well, if you don't care about someone else's things…"

"What are you—" He didn't have much time to speak before Ace nimbly picked the crown off his head and flicked it off across the street and into a faraway bush. "Ah! My crown!"

He scampered off to find it, the other man chasing after him. "That's what you get!" Scootaloo called after them.

"You're gonna regret doing that!" Blueblood said, almost screeching with rage. He and his bodyguard ran off, but Ace heard the words "No one crosses Prince Blueblood!" as he ran off.

Ace and Scootaloo stood there for a moment, watching the two bullies run off. They glanced at each other, and then broke out into laughs. "That guy must be extremely spoiled," Ace said, finally bringing his laughter down to just chuckles.

"He thinks just because he has a title and money he can do whatever he wants."

"Yeah, I figured as much. I've dealt with girls like that."

"Sounds like you have had to deal with a lot of girls huh?"

Ace grabbed her and rubbed his knuckles into her head in a playful noogie. "Dash seems to have rubbed off on you, huh?"

"Agh! Stop, stop!" Scootaloo giggled and pushed him off. "Ow, that kinda hurts."

"Sorry, I guess I'm stronger than Dash."

"You knew she did that too?"

"I guessed. She seems like the type." Ace grinned. "So what are you doing out here so late?"

"I was hanging out at Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie asked me to drop something off."

"You must be fast on that thing," Ace said, gesturing to Scootaloo's scooter.

"Yeah I…" She frowned, the smile vanishing instantly as her eyes fell on her scooter. The front wheel was bent at an awkward angle, and there was a strange bend in the handles. It wasn't going anywhere fast. She let out a deep sigh of defeat. "I was."

"What did they do to the thing…?" Ace muttered, kneeling down next to it.

"He suddenly came out into my way and I swerved and hit a bench." Ace now noticed the scratches on Scootaloo's arms and legs. She must have landed on grass or was just extremely lucky.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"Not a whole lot. My legs are sore though." She smiled up at him. "I'm tough, no worries!"

Yeah, a lot of Dash had rubbed off on this girl, Ace thought with a chuckle. It didn't look too bad though, so he figured he'd let it go. He helped her up, and picked up her scooter. "Well, we can probably give this to Tyr. He's awesome when it comes to fixing stuff."

"You think he can fix it?"

"He'll at least try." Ace gave her a comforting smile. "He'll help. Don't worry."

"Okay…" She smiled back weakly, but again her smile vanished as she looked past him. Ace turned to find Prince Blueblood again, this time with another guard. Ace mentally kicked himself. Of course someone like Blueblood would grab his guards whenever he felt wronged. And these were men he didn't know.

"What do you want?" He asked as evenly as he could.

"Well, I believe someone of your stature would not know who I am, so let me educate you. I am Prince Blueblood, one of the few remaining Equestrian Nobility and Princess Celestia's nephew. In my frustration I neglected to inform you of who I am."

A lot of nobility seemed to act like this, and it was really frustrating. Ace wondered why more nobles couldn't act like the Princesses. Just perfect, he thought with an inward roll of his eyes. Scootaloo had hidden behind him, gripping his shirt tightly. He glanced over at Blueblood's two bodyguards. One was a muscular looking guy, more likely picked for looks than anything else. The other was a bit more average. But Ace wasn't going to start a fight here. He had Scootaloo to watch out for. "So what did you want, Prince Blueblood?" He put some emphasis on the 'Prince'.

"I want you to apologize to me."

"For?"

"For attacking me without provocation!"

Ace spared the man a disparaging glance. Of course the smug bastard thought he was doing Ace a favor. A peasant like him was supposed to hear the word Prince and immediately pay their respect in Blueblood's perfect world. But he wasn't one to simply be obedient. He had sworn loyalty to one person and one person alone. "And if I refuse?"

Blueblood seemed to be unable to grasp the concept. "Refuse? Why on earth would you refuse a generous offer like that?"

"Because that kind of generosity is worthless to me."

"W-what?" Blueblood's shock was visible. Must not have anyone tell him no often, Ace thought. "Now look here, you! If you value yours and your daughter's lives…"

The response was quick and faster than anyone could see. Ace's pistol was out and at his side, ready but not aimed. The speed of the movement proved how fast he would have been able to shoot any of them. "If you threaten my daughter again I will make sure you don't live to regret it," He said quietly. The coldness in his voice sent a shiver down Blueblood's back, and the bodyguards stood there in surprise, unable to draw their own weapons. It was standoff Ace had wanted to avoid, but couldn't help himself. He had never reacted well to threats, and now was no different.

"You'd… You'd threaten me?" Ace didn't respond, but simply snapped his aim up at his head. Blueblood flinched.

"Get out of here."

"You'll regret this!" Blueblood squeaked, taking off. His bodyguard kept their eyes facing Ace until they were all well away. Once they were finally out of sight, Ace finally dropped his aim. He let out a deep breath.

"I hate people like that," He muttered, holstering his gun. He hadn't bothered to take off the safety, as most times just a show of force was worth it. That bodyguard hadn't even noticed, which meant inexperience with weapons. "They think titles lets them do whatever they want." He glanced back at the girl beside him. "You okay?"

"Mm…" Scootaloo was quiet, most likely still shaken by what had happened.

Ace frowned. Then, an idea hit him. "Hey, you hungry?"

She seemed a bit surprised at that, but a small smile crossed her face. "Um… yeah, I am. I didn't eat much at Sugarcube Corner. Sherry was busy making new recipes."

"I got about half a pizza waiting on me in there. Want to share?"

"Pizza sounds awesome!"

-x-

"What are you reading?" Twilight asked, coming over to her boyfriend. Flash sat in the kitchen of her home, poring over a large stack of papers.

"Applications, of a sort," Flash said, smoothing his hair back out of his face. Twilight set a cup of tea in front of him. "Thanks Twi."

She smiled softly. Her boyfriend loved his work, and tried his hardest to do his best. "Of course. So am I right if I guess those are for the new guards for the princesses?"

"Yeah. Ace would be the one doing them, but I said I'd do it."

"He is on a date with Dash, isn't he…?"

Flash glanced up at her. She was looking out the window, nursing her own cup of tea. "Something up?"

"I don't think Ace should keep after Dash."

"Why not?"

"I mean, she broke his heart once, right? She might get bored quickly…" Twilight frowned. "I'd hate it if it happened again."

"Ace is a tough guy," Flash said, leaning back in his seat. "But you sound like you don't want Dash to hurt him… or herself."

"Dash acts tough and all, but she's just as fragile as any of us. After Discord broke us apart, she's always tried to make up for it, even when we told her we understood."

"Loyalty," Flash murmured, referencing Dash's element. "When you think someone has betrayed you, it's quite hard to forgive them."

Twilight nodded. "You understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I do." Flash smirked. "But Ace is hardheaded, and he's not going to give up."

"But…"

"To be honest, it's one of the few things I respect about the guy." It's why they became friends in the first place, but Flash wasn't going to bring that up. "And his mind is set on Rainbow Dash. To be honest, I think the two will go well together."

"Well, I can't argue that," Twilight said with a chuckle, sipping at her tea. Flash took a sip of his own, giving an appreciative nod to its taste. He had always enjoyed these moments with Twilight, as it gave him the opportunity to watch her in her comfort zone. She would always avoid looking at him very often, still embarrassed that she tended to stare. Flash never minded, however. Twilight was a beautiful woman, and winning her affection had been one of the happiest days of his life. Sipping at his tea again, he redirected his attention to the files in front of him. Damn Ace and his date. He was happy for his friend, but being forced to do his work for him… "Hey, Flash?"

"Hm?" Flash looked up as his girlfriend said his name. "What is it?"

"I was curious about something."

"Ask away, Twi."

"Does Ace have family?"

Flash faked like he was hurt. "Really Twi? We have this time together and you're asking about another guy? One of my best friends, no less!"

Twilight gave him a cold glare that told him to quit playing. "Flash, seriously."

"Okay, okay." Flash thought for a moment. There was only so much he could say without breaching his friend's privacy. He figured just the basics would suffice. "Well, after the Merge, Ace was left with his little sister, Heart Song. As far as I know, they are on their own."

"He has a little sister? I don't believe I've ever met her."

"Song isn't exactly healthy," Flash offered, frowning. It wasn't the full truth, but given Twilight's penchant for investigation she would continue looking into it no matter what he said. "She can't move around a whole lot without a wheelchair, so she stays home."

"You've met her?"

"Of course. I've known Ace for years. Song's a cute little thing, and just about as gentle and kind as Fluttershy."

"Wow."

"She doesn't think too much of her illness, although most of that is because of her brother. If it wasn't for Ace, who knows what that girl would have gone through…"

"What?"

Flash caught himself. He had begun to remember the dark story Ace had told him, and had almost began retelling it. "…I can't go any deeper than that, babe. Sorry."

Twilight stared at him for a long moment. Flash was momentarily afraid that she'd press for him to spill the beans, but after letting out a deep sigh, she nodded. "Sorry about pressing you, Flash. It's obviously a tender subject even for you, so I won't force you to tell me anything. Although I do have one request."

"What is it?"

"I'd like to meet Heart Song. Do you think Ace would let me?"

Flash thought back to the scene he had witnessed in Ace's home after Song had heard about the Christmas party. The sick girl had cried for ages until Ace had agreed to bring her to the next party. After that, she had gone to being her normally happy and cheery self. It had been both terrifying and adorable all at the same time. "I think that'll be fine. Ace had been thinking about getting her to meet everyone."

"Good! So…" Twilight blushed slightly. "…Were you planning to stay the night?"

Flash sipped at his tea. He silently straightened up the files in front of him and set them in a neat pile. He smirked. "You were planning to kick me out?"

-x-

Ace had sat through yet another one of Scootaloo's many tales about her adventures with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, laughing out loud when the story ended up with the three girls again being covered in tree sap. "You guys can never seem to keep clean," He said between laughs. He was finding it a joy to spend time with the young girl, and her energy and excitement was beginning to rub off on him. The pizza they were sharing had vanished along with the last rays of sun, but he didn't really want it to end.

"Yeah, it always looked like that," Scootaloo agreed, giggling. "Sweetie Bell always got yelled at by Rarity when she came home dirty."

Ace chuckled. For what he knew of Rarity, the sight of her sister covered in mud would probably have given her a heart attack. "It doesn't hurt to get dirty every now and then."

"I know, right!"

"But that's Rarity for ya. I don't think she can help it."

"No kidding." Scootaloo gave a derisive snort that Ace found oddly endearing. "All that work and we still don't have our Cutie Marks…"

"Worried you won't get yours?"

"Yeah! So far, the only thing I've really enjoyed was delivering newspapers cause I can ride my scooter, but still nothing!"

"Hey, that's something you can't rush."

"Everyone says that! But Rainbow Dash says she got hers on her own!"

"I mean, that's not unusual. But you have to realize your own talent by yourself. As much as you may want to be, you're not Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo. You are your own person."

"But…" Scootaloo looked at a loss for words. Ace was unusually serious for once, and she was taken aback by it. Ace let out a sigh, realizing how serious he was himself.

"Hey. I know it seems hard now, but just remember one thing; never give up, no matter what anyone tells you. Got it?"

She smiled softly. "I got it. If there's anything I'm good at, it's not giving up."

"Now then…" He didn't want the time he was spending with her to end, but a quick glance outside betrayed how late it was getting. "Well, I think it's getting late…"

"Aw, can't we stay longer?"

"Nah, they have to close up soon. I gotta get you home anyway."

At the mention of home, Scootaloo's face fell. "Oh… right."

"Hey, don't give me that. I'll give you a ride home."

"Okay."

They left the pizzeria, Ace stopping by the counter to pay for his food. He joined Scootaloo outside and they began the walk back to his car. Scootaloo kept close to him, and he put a comforting arm around her shoulder that she seemed to appreciate. It was odd not seeing her excited and animated, but Ace attributed that to her being tired. After a long time, Scootaloo spoke.

"You sure you have to take me home?" Ace chuckled. He had been expected that.

"Come on squirt. Your parents are probably worried about you."

Scootaloo's face darkened. "…No, they aren't."

"Come on kid, they—"

"MY PARENTS ARE GONE!" Scootaloo screamed, tears streaming from her eyes as she whirled towards him. "My mom and dad left me even before the Merge! They didn't care about me at all…"

Ace was silent for a long moment. Scootaloo stared down at the ground hard, fighting to keep tears from falling. As careful as he was trying to be around this girl, he had managed to step on the biggest mine in the field. Without warning, Ace pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, Scoots."

"Huh?"

"That was insensitive of me, wasn't it?" He smiled. "Sorry."

"Why… why are you being nice to me?"

"Because I know what it's like to not have parents around," Ace said quietly. "I've had to be the parent for my little sister."

"Oh…"

"So, where have you been staying all this time?"

"I've been hiding in an abandoned house," Scootaloo said truthfully. "The Cakes give me extra food and stuff cause I tell them my parents always come home late."

He tapped her on the head. "You shouldn't lie like that. But I understand."

"…Sorry."

"I'll call Rainbow Dash. She'll let you spend the night if you explain, right?"

"Yeah…."

He pulled out his phone and noticed a couple of texts. Before he could open them, he heard a low voice speak and a hard object was shoved into his back. "What?"

"Put that away," It said quietly.

Ace recognized the shape of the gun instantly. Slowly, he put his phone away. "What the hell is this?" He hissed. Scootaloo looked up at him in warning, but he gave her a look to keep her silent.

"Walk," The voice said. Ace managed to glance around behind him slightly to see the same man from earlier, one of Blueblood's bodyguards. He frowned. There were limits to how far someone should go for an imagined slight. "Face forward!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. Where are we going?"

"Just walk."

Keeping Scootaloo close, Ace did as he was told. He walked down the sidewalk, the man behind them following and making sure his presence was felt. "A-Ace," Scootaloo squeaked. "What's going on…?"

"Just be quiet, Scoots," Ace said, smiling weakly down at her. It was fake, and he knew she could tell. "Everything is okay."

"Be quiet." They kept walking, eventually coming up to an abandoned parking lot. To Ace's silent fury, he found Blueblood and about a half dozen black suited guards. They stood in a small semicircle in front of—

"My car," Ace whispered. His baby, the first major purchase he had made for himself, sat behind Blueblood and his goons. It was tarnished and broken, windows shattered and doors smashed in. Even from such a cursory glance, he could tell it was in no condition to drive. The fury he was beginning to feel gave was to full blown rage. But he kept silent. Scootaloo was depending on him to get her safely out of here. He couldn't lose his cool.

"I warned you that you would regret being on my bad side," Blueblood said with a conceited chuckle. "And now it comes back to bite you."

"NO!" Scootaloo suddenly screamed as another goon showed up and yanked her away from Ace's side. "No, LET ME GO!"

"Scootaloo!" Ace cried, turning. But the goon that had been behind him sucker punched him and dropped him to the ground. "Buck!"

"Leave him alone you bullies!" Scootaloo was valiantly trying to break free of her captors, but a vicious blow to the stomach took the fight out of her. She whimpered pitifully as she choked back tears. Ace felt pride at the girl fighting back as he was stripped of his gun.

"Big man," Ace said, recovering from his daze. He fixed Blueblood with a hateful gaze. "Can't come after me without superior numbers?"

"I don't have time to dirty my hands with the likes of you," Blueblood sneered. "This is the sort of punishment you deserve."

"So you come after me with eight guards, abuse a child, and trash my car."

"I warned you your life and your daughter's would be ruined if you refused my generosity."

Ace staggered to his feet, feeling a chill run down his spine. He had felt it once before, when he was about to fight for his life. "Generosity?" He mused. "Rarity is generous. You're just a worm that thinks he's above everyone else because he's on top of a sand castle." He spit out the last words, seeing blood go with the saliva. He must cut his tongue or something.

Blueblood's eyes narrowed at the mention of the fashionista. "So you know Rarity. One day I will do what I please with that woman. But tonight, I grace you with my presence."

"Bastard."

"I am Prince Blueblood, nephew to Princess Celestia herself!" He flung his arm forward, and his goons moved in. "And I demand your respect!"

"You get my spit!" Ace spit at the man, managing to nail him right in the forehead. Blueblood recoiled in disgust while Scootaloo cheered weakly. The small act of defiance earned her kick that curled her back up into a ball. Ace snarled wordlessly. He was going to make Blueblood pay.

"You…! You ignorant peasant!" Blueblood's voice had gone shrilly. "I don't care what you do to him, kill him, maim him, I just want him kneeling at my feet!"

The goons closed in. Ace was done acting obedient. As the first goon from before moved up, he spun swiftly in place, wings stretching out and smacking the gun free. He lowered himself in the spin, wingtips lancing out and slashing across the man's throat. Blood spurted free as Ace retrieved both his own and the dying man's gun. The suddenness of the movement caught everyone off guard. Ace lifted both guns up and let his wings stretch out to full length. Any human being would have described the pose as a vengeful angel standing amongst the damned. "You've seen fit to give me your name on numerous occasions, Prince Blueblood," Ace said, looking up at him. He rubbed at his eyes with one arm and when he pulled his arm away his eyes were red as blood. "And here I am, still not giving you my name. I apologize."

"Colored contacts…?" One man murmured. The cold voice coming from the man before them sent shivers down the spine of every man in the lot.

Ace cocked the hammers of both guns. "I am Sir Ace Guard, Captain of Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia's Sun Guard. You're accused of threatening and assaulting an innocent child, trashing the vehicle belonging to one of Celestia's personal knights, and _pissed me off_."

The goons shared a group 'oh crap' moment. "C-Celestia's Royal Guard…?"

"By the jurisdiction given to me by the Princess of the Sun herself, I am sentencing you to _never_ seeing the sun again." He leveled both guns. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was inwardly cheering. Wielding pistols akimbo? Totally badass. He glanced over at Scootaloo. "…Scootaloo."

She looked up, a grim determination on her face despite the pain she was in. "Y-yeah?"

Ace smiled gently, an expression that looked off with his blazing red eyes. "Go hide, close your eyes, and cover your ears."

"Kick their asses," She said, smiling back as she staggered to her feet.

"Language, young lady," Ace admonished softly.

"Kick their buckin' asses to Tartarus!" She yelled back. Ace couldn't help but grin. By Celestia, he was beginning to love this kid.

"Gladly." He turned back to the men in front of him as Scootaloo ran off to a more protected spot beside an abandoned truck. She climbed into the truck bed and hid in it, keeping herself where she could still see everything that was happening. "Now then, gentlemen… Wat do we do from here?"

"Kill him!" Blueblood screamed.

Ace scowled. "Wrong answer." The goons moved, and Ace moved as well, firing two shots as he pushed forward. Both shots hit the man who had struck Scootaloo, ripping through his chest and lower torso. The other goons drew their weapons, and suddenly the entire parking lot had turned into a battlefield, with lead flying every which way as Ace used his Pegasus heritage to full effect. He was never in the same place more than a few seconds, using his inherent speed to outmaneuver his opponents. His wings propelled him swiftly from place to place, but in the frenzy of a pitched gunfight added on top of the movement he was forced to do, his shots missed or only managed to wound. Blueblood's goons fared no better, missing every shot they fired in his direction. Then, as if orchestrated by some sadistic divine figure, all of their guns suddenly clicked empty at the same time. Silence fell. Ace frowned. "Well. That's an issue."

The goons reacted pretty swiftly for hired help, swarming Ace with their greater numbers. Punches and kicks flew everywhere, and for a moment it seemed like Ace was holding his own. With his wings about as useful as a blade, he was two more weapons up with which to fight. But the numbers were telling, and even as he knocked several of his opponents senseless they were wearing him down. A lucky shot to his side staggered him, and they dragged him to the ground. Scootaloo jumped out of her hiding place and shot over to him, screaming at the top of her lungs. "LET HIM GO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Stupid kid!" One of the goons snapped, backhanding Scootaloo as she vainly beat his back with her small hands. The blow knocked her to the ground, and she could taste copper on her tongue. Despite the pain, she got back up and charged again. And again, she was knocked down, this time more violently than before. As she got up the third time, a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her hair back.

"Ow! Let go!"

"Shut up!" The goon picked her up and shook her. "Shut. Up!"

She buried her teeth into his arm, drawing blood and pulling a scream of pain from the man, who dropped her. She turned to try and help Ace again, but his eyes found hers. "…Ace…?"

Ace had heard his uncle whispering in his ear again. That he would never be as good of his father, and that him being a guard was a joke. Sure, the old bastard was right. He wasn't his father. He was himself. "Scootaloo," Ace said as evenly as he could, slamming his elbow into the neck of one goon. "Go get help."

"But!"

"Don't!" Ace said sharply, taking Scootaloo back. The tone he spoke with was something she had never heard from anyone. The authority in his voice brokered no argument. "Just go, Scootaloo!"

"…Yes sir!" She turned and bolted, dodging past the one goon that tried to grab her. Before long, she was out of sight.

Ace let out a soft sigh. "Good girl," He said. Now, he didn't have to worry.

Now, he would fight.

-x-

"Are you sure you want to spend the night here?" Celestia asked, folding her arms. She stood beside her car while Shining Armor took his and Cadance's things into the hotel. IT was a pretty nice hotel, Celestia had to admit, although a bit pricey.

"It's fine, Auntie," Cadance said with a giggle. "It's just for tonight. We were planning to go home tomorrow anyway."

"I see… Well, I wish you both well."

"Thanks Auntie… wait, is that someone running towards us?"

Celestia pushed her hair out of her face as she turned around. Indeed, it was a small figure dashing towards them. As they got closer, She choked back a surprised gasp. "…Scootaloo?"

The young girl staggered the last few steps towards them before falling face first into the dirt. "H-help…"

"Scootaloo!" Cadance rushed over to the girl and pulled her into her arms, smoothing the errant violet hairs out of her face. "What in my aunt's name happened to you?"

"Ran… all the way here… not sure… how far I went…" She sniffed, fighting back tears. "I tripped a lot… But I had to keep running!"

"Was someone chasing you?" Celestia asked gently.

"No! I need… help…"

"Help for what?" Shining Armor asked, frowning.

"Ace… needs help."

"Ace Guard requires help?" Celestia's smile vanished instantly and was replaced by a hard line. "Where is he?"

"Auntie!" Cadance said. "She can't show us! Her legs are bleeding!"

Celestia looked down at the small girl. She was in a pitiful state, with cuts from her falls and dried up blood all over her legs. There was no way she could take them to where Ace was. A thought came to her then, as she realized Scootaloo did not have to tell them anything.

She had to show them. Celestia's magic came to her as easy as breathing, and she touched her hand against Scootaloo's forehead. "Calm yourself, my little one. And remember."

Scootaloo nodded weakly and closed her eyes. She ran her mind back through everything, from the event outside the pizzeria, to the time she had spent with Ace inside, to the ambush outside. And then Ace standing up to a bad fight for her. Making sure she was safe before anything else. Celestia finished viewing the memory with a small chuckle. "What is it, Princess Celestia?" Shining asked.

"It seems my knight has bitten off more than he could chew," She said. "Come. We're going to go help him."

"Right now?" Shining asked as they got into Celestia's car. Cadance kept Scootaloo in her lap, using what little healing magic she knew to at least alleviate some of the young girl's pain.

"Should we wait? A young girl just ran six blocks straight in order to bring us this message. We should not hesitate."

"…Right."

Celestia drove off, flooring it through the quiet night streets. Before long, the parking lot she had seen in Scootaloo's mind came into view. All of them gasped at the sight before them. Ace was covered in blood, both his and his enemies, and stood in a small circle of four men. Four lay dead at his feet, and a couple of the ones still standing looked on their last legs. Cadance gasped quietly, while Shining simply gritted his teeth. Celestia felt something in her that she normally did not feel.

It was anger.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Her voice boomed, shaking the very buildings around them. She climbed out of the car, Shining Armor at her side, gun drawn. The men surrounding Ace flinched back as the Princess of the Sun addressed them in the Royal Canterlot Voice. All the color drained from Blueblood's face.

"A-Aunt Celestia…?" He whispered in shock.

Ace turned to look over his shoulder at his reinforcements. He grinned lopsidedly, dropping to his knees when Celestia had spoken. "…Hey, Princess."

Before Celestia could speak, Cadance cried out. "Scootaloo, wait!"

"ACE!" Scootaloo shot out of the car and right over to Ace, slamming into him with as much force as her ragged legs could produce. Ace caught her as she threw her arms around his neck. She began sobbing loudly into his chest while he simply held her.

"Sorry about that kid," Ace chuckled, gently rubbing her hair. "I just wanted to—"

"Don't send me away like my dad did!" She sobbed. "Don't leave me like he did!"

Ace's blood ran cold. She swallowed heavily. "I…I won't. I'm sorry, Scootaloo."

Celestia strode past the happy scene without looking, her hard eyes focused on her nephew. She stopped a few steps in front of him, drawing up to her full height and looking down on him. He blanched, trying to make himself as small as possible. "…I have had a lot of patience with you, _dear_ nephew. But that ends now."

"Aunt Celestia, I—

"THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!" Celestia roared. It was one of the few times she had ever been truly angry, and it was boiling up to rage at this point. Blueblood fell backwards, sitting down hard. Seeing the fear in his eyes checked her rage, and she let herself calm down to her more normal tranquil fury. "…What you have done tonight is unforgiveable, on so many accounts. You have not only assaulted two of my subjects, but at the same time you have attempted to kill one of my most trusted knights. If I were able to throw you and your… associates into the darkest dungeon I could imagine, I would. But fortunately for you… I cannot."

"So… Mercy?"

"Far from it." Celestia's eyes narrowed. "From this day forward, you are no longer a Prince, and you are hereby _removed_ from my family. In regards to you being family for this moment, I will not harm you or anything like that. But you should leave this place. For if I catch you here again, I will banish you to the moon."

"But…! Aunt Celestia!"

"I am no longer your Aunt." She turned her back on him. "Get out of my sight."

Blueblood stared at the back of his former Aunt for a long time. When she did not turn back, he picked himself up and walked away, his tail literally between his legs. "Hey!" Ace called out, stopping the former prince in his place. He glanced back at the battered, yet victorious guard.

"…What?"

"I will shoot you on sight next time," Ace promised him. "And trust me, I will make sure I do not miss."

Blueblood scampered away, as did the rest of his goons. All was silent. After a long moment, Cadance spoke up. "I never liked the fact that I was related to him."

"Same here, Cady," Shining agreed. "Hopefully he doesn't show up again."

Celestia sighed. "I had always tried to teach him to be a better person… but it seems all those teachings fell on deaf ears." She looked over at Ace. "Ace Guard… are you alright?"

Ace laughed, and immediately regretted the decision. "Ow… I'll live."

"Dear Celestia, you're bleeding all over!" Scootaloo squeaked.

"Same to you, squirt," Ace said, poking her forehead.

"You've shown exceptional determination and resilience tonight, Ace Guard." Celestia knelt beside him, face breaking out into a smile. "I am reminded again how lucky I am to have you."

"I might need to start carrying a sword again or that might be short lived," Ace said with a smile.

"Keep yourself safe, Ace. Please."

"Of course, Princess." Ace gently rubbed Scootaloo's back as the little girl's sobbing began to recede. "Hey… Princess Celestia?"

"Yes Ace?"

"Remember that favor you promised me?"

Celestia stared at him in surprise. "That… why on earth would you bring that up now, of all times?"

Ace smiled slightly. "…Can you take me to the hospital?" He asked weakly.

"I…" Celestia blinked a few times before a soft chuckle escaped her throat. Then she gave Ace the biggest smile he had seen on her face in a while. "I would be honored to, Ace Guard."

-x-

"So their injuries are not too severe?" Celestia asked the doctor. She, Cadance, and Shining stood in the hallway outside of the room Ace and Scootaloo had been placed in. Doctor Quick had somehow managed to be assigned to them, a fact Celestia was quite happy about. After witnessing Scootaloo's… violent reaction to being separated from Ace, Dr. Quick had arranged for them to stay in the same room.

"No, most were superficial." The doctor said. "Although young Scootaloo's injuries will require her legs to be wrapped up until new skin can form. Someone will have to help her bathe for about a week."

"That sounds extremely painful," Cadance said with a wince.

"There should be no complications. She will be tender, but with calm care, she will be fine."

"And Ace?" Shining asked. "How long will he take to recover?"

"He only required bandages. He can leave whenever he's ready."

"That's good to hear," Celestia said with a sigh.

"There is one more piece of news," Dr. Quick said.

"Yes?"

"When we were examining Ms. Scootaloo's injuries, we came across something you might find interesting."

Celestia noticed the small smile on the doctor's face. "What was it?"

"It seems, in my medical knowledge, that young Scootaloo has gained her Cutie Mark."

At the same time the doctor was telling them that, Ace was getting an eyeful of the mark in question already. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" She squealed happily. If it wasn't for her leg injuries, she would probably be running and bouncing all over the room.

"Calm down, silly." Ace chuckled.

"But I can't see it!"

"The mirror, Scoots!"

"Oh, oh!"

Ace got up out of the hospital bed and followed Scootaloo into the bathroom, grabbing one of the smaller handheld mirrors. He helped Scootaloo get up to where she could see it, and angled he mirror to show her back. Atop her left shoulder blade was a rolled up scroll tied with a red cord that seemed to trail in the wind. An inverted V emblem was attached to it via a golden medallion. "Seems your talent is delivering messages quickly and efficiently," Ace said appreciatively.

"I was hoping for something more awesome…" She said, a little disappointed.

"Hey, messengers are important, especially fast ones. If something really important needs to be delivered, and we have to count on someone fast? What if the message could mean life or death?"

"I would get it there, no matter what!"

"I don't think it just means being a messenger though," Ace said thoughtfully. "Messengers are relied on to get their messages to their destination no matter what. So maybe your Cutie Mark symbolizes your determination."

Scootaloo sat quietly for a moment before smiling. "Nobody was gonna stop me from getting help for you."

Ace had to pull her into an awkward one armed hug so that she couldn't see the tears of happiness in his eyes. Or liquid pride, as Shining Armor would call it. "Thanks squirt."

"Are messengers that important?" Scootaloo asked after a bit.

"You ran six blocks to get help for me." Ace smiled. "Yeah, I think messengers are amazing."

"You can always count on me!" She said proudly, puffing out her chest.

There was commotion outside, and then suddenly Rainbow Dash burst into the room, eyes wide. "Ace! Scootaloo!"

"Dash!" Scootaloo managed to say, a moment before she was scooped up into a tight hug.

"Oh, thank Celestia and Luna you're okay!"

Ace moved back out to his bed and sat down on it. His bruises and cuts still hurt, but seeing Dash worrying over the little girl brought a smile to his face. After a frantic Scootaloo broke free of her adoptive big sis, Dash turned to Ace. "Hey Dash," He said softly.

She walked briskly over to him and without saying a single word, pressed her lips against his in the most rough and emotion fueled kiss Ace had ever gotten from her. Not willing to let it end prematurely, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her as close to him as possible as he pushed back into the kiss. He was completely absorbed into the kiss when he suddenly felt tears on his face. He pushed Rainbow back gently to find her crying. "Dash…?"

"When I heard what had happened I was scared," She said quietly. Scootaloo moved over beside Ace as her big sister spoke in a quiet, trembling voice. "I thought maybe you had gotten seriously injured, or something had happened to Scoots…"

"I'm fine though, Dash…" Scootaloo began, but Ace held up a hand and motioned her to be silent.

"So, uh… I realized something on the way over here." She scratched at her head, running her hands through her hair.

"What was it?" Ace asked calmly.

"I really don't want to lose you." Dash blushed heavily, hoping to hide it behind her hair. Unfortunately, unlike her best friend Fluttershy, it wasn't long enough. "After today I realized just what an idiot I've been. I've run myself through relationship after relationship, figuring nothing would ever last. I thought everything would go by as fast as my attention span. But then you came along, and threw a wrench right into that. You said you really liked me, even bordering on love, and my stupid self thought that you were just another momentary fling that I'd have to go through. But you kept coming after me, and I finally said yes to going on a date with you."

She paused then, looking up at him. He nodded, encouraging her to continue. She took a deep breath. "And by Celestia, I met up with you today thinking that I wasn't going to have fun. And I did. I had so much fun I was _disappointed_ to say bye. I… want you to give me a chance."

"A chance?"

Dash nodded. "I want to start over. I just want to… try. I've been so afraid of commitment this whole time. So give me a chance."

"…Rainbow Dash." Ace's voice was soft and the smile on his face easy.

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

Dash answered almost immediately. "Yes."

They sat there in silence for a long moment, the blank looks slowly turning into wide smiles and then they were embracing again, laughing loudly. "I didn't think that would work," Ace said honestly.

"I didn't think saying yes would be so easy," Dash said.

"So…" Scootaloo suddenly spoke up. "You two are… getting married?"

"Yeah, seems that way, squirt," Dash said, rubbing Scootaloo's hair. "You okay?"

Scootaloo went over to them and hugged them both. "I'm better than okay. I'm happy! You two are the most awesome people I know! So you'll be double awesome together!"

Just outside the door, Cadance watched the happy scene. "Now that's what I like to see," She said with a soft laugh.

"What are you doing, my niece?"

Cadance whirled around to find Celestia standing over her. "Oh! Auntie. I'm not doing anything."

"So you have nothing to do with what is going on in there?" The hint of a smile was on her face.

"You know my magic, Auntie. I can only affect existing love." She smiled. "So that would mean those feelings are her own. If I did anything, all I did was hurry things along."

"So you did do something."

"What? No~" She giggled. "I just want to spread happiness wherever I go."

"Well, whatever you say. Just don't neglect your own happiness, alright?"

"Of course not!"

* * *

 **To my dear dragon (who happens to be unusually flammable) when I saw your guess I had the biggest grin on my face. Not exactly what you said it would be, but you were really close! I truly do enjoy the repeated reviews, and thanks to all my ghost-readers who simply read and don't say a word. You think I don't know you're there, but the Library sees you, and quietly nods in appreciation.**

 **Please look forward to the next chapter. The Library will be waiting for your visit.**


	22. Chapter 21: Coincidental Accidents

**Greetings again from the Library! Another Friday, another chapter. As always, I am happy to receive your comments, and thanks for the encouragement. As long as inspiration strikes me, I will always continue writing. With the thought that someone out there will enjoy what I write, I will continue.  
**

* * *

Chapter 21: Coincidental Accidents

"That actually happened?" Luna asked in surprise. It was a typical morning in the Hymir household, with Tyr preparing breakfast while his girls slowly worked their way downstairs. Luna had come down first, since Tyr had woken her up, and now the two of them were waiting on Chrys and Sherry to get up. Luna didn't mind being alone with Tyr, as watching him make breakfast was… interesting, to say the least. Perhaps she simply just loved watching him in general. She tried to keep the conversation going so she wouldn't get too distracted.

"According to what Tia told me," Tyr said. "Ace and Scootaloo are in the hospital for minor injuries. Nothing too serious."

"Well, that is always good. It would be terrible if something happened to them."

"You can say that again. Ace is my friend, and I kinda wish I had been there for him."

Luna smiled softly and got up, going over to her boyfriend and putting her arms around his waist. "You worry quite a bit about those you care about."

"Of course I do," He said with a smile. He glanced back at her. "Especially those I love."

A yawn from upstairs alerted them as Chrys came down. "Good morning Chrys," Luna said.

"Morning." Chrys pushed her hair out of her face as she came down to the counter. "I woke up because I smelled food."

"But you don't even…" Luna paused as a playful grin crossed Chrys's face. She frowned. "…Oh."

"Oh, go ahead. Don't mind me…"

"Fine then," Tyr said, suddenly turning and pulling Luna close. She had wanted to retort at the smug Changeling but before she could even react, he had leaned down and kissed her tenderly. Deciding to spite Chrys, Luna eagerly threw her arms around her lover's neck and enjoyed the kiss, letting her mouth do all the talking in a different way.

"And now this in the morning?" Sherry's voice muttered. "Come on, dad…"

"Morning baby," Tyr said with a chuckle, breaking away from Luna to smile at his daughter. Sherry had come down while they were… distracted, and had screwed up her face at the sight. Luna chuckled nervously as she felt a blush coming on.

Sherry moved over and sat next to Chrys. She glanced over at the Changeling, a frown on her face. "You didn't ask them to do that, did you?"

"No, I did not," Chrys clarified. "But I most certainly did not mind."

Instead of pressing the issue, the young girl decided to change the subject. "So are we going to the hospital today?" Sherry was obviously worried about Scootaloo.

"Course dear. But you have to get dressed first."

"Okay."

"I have a request, Tyr." Luna said, as Sherry went back upstairs. Chrys had gone hunting for Snow, and the small white kitten ambushed her legs as she passed the couch.

"Hm?" Tyr glanced at her.

"Could you… help me with my hair?" She blushed slightly. "Sherry was informing me of the calming qualities of having someone else brush your hair for you."

"I mean, I don't mind…"

"I would like to try that as well," Chrys said eagerly, picking up Snow in her arms.

Tyr frowned at her. "Wait your turn."

Chrys sat back instantly, adopting an obedient pose. "As you wish, my Master."

Tyr sighed. He had somehow managed to be living with the Princess of the Moon, a masochistic Changeling, and a budding culinary master. Not the life he had imagined two years ago…

"About time you two showed up," Dash said, frowning as Tyr, Luna and Sherry arrived at the hospital. She, her five friends, Flash, Celestia, and the other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were out in the waiting room, talking. The three younger girls gathered together as the adults began to talk.

"Now Dash, that ain't a way to speak to somebody," AJ gently admonished. Dash sighed.

"Right, right…" she smiled weakly. "Thanks for coming guys."

"How is he?"

"They're fine," Celestia said, coming over. "Rainbow Dash is freaking out for another reason."

"Why?" Luna asked. "If Ace and Scootaloo are alright, why would Rainbow Dash be 'freaking out'?"

Tyr suppressed a chuckle at the way Luna said the phrase. Celestia simply smiled at her younger sister. "I believe it is due to the other things that have happened."

"What else has happened?"

Twilight, sitting on AJ's other side, spoke up. "Flash and I brought Ace's sister here."

Tyr frowned. "Ace has a sister?"

"A younger sister," Flash said. "She was pretty distraught when I told her Ace was in the hospital."

"Sounds like my sisters…"

"Speaking of her…" Celestia murmured, glancing down the hallway. Everyone turned to look as the sound of wheels rolling across the linoleum floor echoed. A young, snow haired woman in a wheelchair was coming towards them, a soft smile on her pale face. "Here she comes now."

Dash seemed to freeze at that, and didn't move until the girl was only a short distance away. She surveyed the room with her crimson eyes, her smile growing. "I didn't intrude, did I?" She asked softly, her voice sounding like music.

"Not at all," Celestia said smoothly.

"Good! Oh, I should probably introduce myself, shouldn't I?"

"I reckon that would help, sugarcube," AJ said with a chuckle.

Pinkie bounced up and down. "Ooh, ooh, let me guess—"

Rarity clamped her hand over Pinkie's mouth before she could go any further. "I think it may be best for her to just tell us, Pinkie dear."

"Mmkmy!"

"I think she said okay," Twilight said, chuckling softly as Pinkie nodded vigorously.

The snow-haired girl giggled. "My brother knows a lot of interesting people. My name is Heart Song, although I would like you all to simply call me Song. Or, you could call me by my nickname, Beat."

"Oh, I get it," Fluttershy said softly. "Like a heartbeat, or the beat in a song."

"Exactly," Beat said with another smile.

"Let me introduce everyone," Celestia offered.

"Thank you very much, Princess."

Celestia ran through everyone's names, giving Beat a chance to learn them. When she got to Tyr and Luna, the girl paused. Her red eyes widened a bit up meeting his, and they stared at each other for a long moment. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he smiled awkwardly. "There isn't anything on my face, is there?"

"Oh!" Beat blushed heavily and looked away. "I apologize, I didn't mean to… it's just your eyes are the most beautiful shade of silver…"

"I usually get weird looks because of my eye color," Tyr said honestly. "Never had someone admiring them."

"Beat is a painter," Flash said with a smile. "Colors are her thing."

"Considering I have almost none," Beat joked. "Although my Cutie Mark says otherwise…"

Tyr noticed the symbol of a pure white heart with a single quarter note in its center on the back of her hand. "You sing?"

Beat nodded. "Yes, I have been told my singing has a healing quality to it."

"I would love to hear that," Luna said.

"You're… or you were a unicorn?" Twilight asked.

Beat nodded again. "Yes. I got it from my mother's side. Ace got his wings from our dad. Although ever since the Merge, Ace has essentially been my parent." She smiled sadly and looked down at her legs. "I haven't been the most helpful, considering my condition."

"Condition?" Fluttershy asked.

"I can't really walk. Well, to be more precise, I can walk, but not for any real length of time. It causes me a lot of pain when I do. So I'm confined to a wheelchair most times, and Ace usually carries me for anything else. I don't weigh a lot, and my brother is really strong."

"Your eyes…" Twilight murmured. Beat glanced at her, and she realized what she had said. "Oh, I didn't mean…"

"It's alright," Beat said, giving her a comforting smile. "It's a familial trait. Big brother wears colored contacts because people have told him that its disconcerting with eyes like ours."

"Ah, I noticed his eyes the other night." Celestia nodded. "Although it is strange to see them like that, I have to admit I find them quite beautiful."

"I think he'll be happy to hear that, Princess Celestia. He really does admire you." Beat blushed a little. "As do I."

"C-can we go in and see him now?" Dash asked nervously.

"Oh!" Beat gasped slightly, hand coming up to cover her mouth. "That's what I had come out here to tell you all. When the doctors told Ace you all were here, he asked me to come let you all in."

"Well, we should go see him then," Twilight began, but barely had she finished her sentence before Dash had lived up to her name and hurried past Beat. "…Dash?"

"I swear, that girl has no tact," Rarity said with a sigh.

"Of course she doesn't have tacks, silly Rare-bear!" Pinkie said with a giggle. "Why would Rainbow Dash be carrying those around?"

"Pinkie-winkle, I said tact. T-A-C-T."

"That doesn't sound as fun as jacks."

"Jacks? Why on earth are we talking about… oh never mind."

"Let's just go in," Applejack suggested, laughing quietly. Everyone else agreed, and they all headed down to the hospital room. As Fluttershy passed by Beat, she paused.

"Um…" She began, not completely sure how to address the girl. "B-beat?"

Beat looked up at her, her red eyes hiding some kind of hidden laughter. "Yes?"

"Do you… need someone to… um… roll, er… push you?" Fluttershy blushed heavily. Despite spending so much time with the honest and personable Applejack, she still found it hard to speak to people she did not know. Those red eyes didn't help matters either.

"I can handle it on my own," Beat said with a soft smile. She held up her hand to show the mark there. "I was a Unicorn in Equestria, and I can manage well enough. Although thank you for the thought."

"Oh, no problem."

Ace had a huge grin on his face as all his friends entered the room. "Nice to see I'm so loved!" He said jokingly.

"Yeah, I'm obligated to make sure you haven't killed yourself," Flash said, punching his friend in the shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"Scootaloo and I have been hanging out," Ace said, glancing over at the girl. She was surrounded by her three friends, Sherry and Applebloom watching while Sweetie Bell hugged their tomboyish friend tightly.

"From what I hear you were quite gallant," Rarity said.

"I believe he was attempting to be a…" Celestia frowned slightly. "What is the word…"

"Badass?" Scootaloo asked.

"Language, young lady," Ace said, laughing. Scootaloo stuck out her tongue at him.

"Oh dear, he's trying to be a role model," Flash muttered. "Someone call the doctor and make sure this is actually Ace."

"Be nice, Flash," Beat admonished. She wheeled herself over to her brother. "this is my loving brother, and I'd know him anywhere."

"I'm so glad you're alright, Scootaloo," Sherry said.

"I'm tough, don't worry!" Scootaloo grinned. "Oh! Right, you guys gotta see this!"

"See what?" Applebloom asked. Instead of replying, Scootaloo simply rolled over onto her side and shifted the back of her shirt up. The three girls gasped in surprise at seeing her Cutie Mark. "Oh! You got your Cutie Mark too!"

"Too?"

"Oh…" Applebloom blushed. "I um… got my Cutie Mark yesterday…"

"You too!?" Sweetie Bell cried. "I got mine too!"

"We all got our Cutie Marks yesterday?" Scootaloo remarked, surprised.

"I already had mine," Sherry said, smirking. The other girls shot her flat looks before breaking out into giggles.

"I'm glad we all got our Cutie Marks," Sweetie Bell said. "I was afraid you guys would be upset I got mine before you did…"

"Why would we be upset?" Applebloom asked. "I mean, I reckon I would have tried a lot harder to get mine… But we're friends, right?"

"Friends till the end!" Scootaloo chimed in.

"I told you that you didn't have to worry," Tyr said with a smile.

"I am so happy to see you little ones have finally found your talents," Celestia said with a warm smile.

"And now we don't have to worry about y'all doing anything dangerous anymore," Applejack said.

"We still wanna have fun, big sis!" Applebloom pleaded.

"Nothing dangerous," Rarity asserted. The Crusaders let out a collective sigh and nodded.

"By the way," Beat said suddenly, glancing over at Dash. She had sat down next to Ace on his bed, and was awfully close to him… "You two seem close."

"I was just wondering that," Twilight said. "You did run back in here once Beat told us we could come in."

Dash glanced at Ace. He simply shrugged. "I suppose it's fair to tell you guys…" Dash muttered.

"Tell us what, darling?" Rarity asked. Dash blushed slightly and looked down at her hands. "My dear, you're acting as shy as Fluttershy!"

"And that's something," Fluttershy murmured.

"Let me," Ace said, putting a comforting hand on Dash's back. She simply nodded. "Well, everyone, Something great happened."

"Uh huh," Flash murmured. "Stop trying to prolong it."

Ace grinned. "I proposed to Dash."

"You. Did. What!?" Rarity exclaimed.

Dash smiled sheepishly as everyone in the room gasped in shock. "I said yes."

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" Pinkie squealed. "I _totally_ have to throw you a congratulations-on-getting-married party!"

"I wasn't expecting that," AJ said, shock still on her face. "You actually said yes, huh?"

"I mean, I have kinda been running away from commitment," Dash said sheepishly.

"So you decided to marry Ace?" Twilight frowned. It was obvious she was still skeptical about the whole situation. Despite how happy she felt she should be about Dash and Ace getting married, she still couldn't shake the feeling this was all too fast. "Don't you think that you're being a bit… quick?"

"Yeah, I am. But you know me, once loyal, always loyal!" Dash grinned.

Considering that, Twilight changed her opinion completely. Even if Rainbow was rushing things, she'd never betray Ace's feelings. "I guess you're right. I hope you two are happy together."

"Well, as long as Ace doesn't screw anything up," Flash joked.

"Oh, shut up!" Ace said with a laugh, punching his friend lightly on the shoulder. "You're just jealous I'm getting married before you and Twilight."

Both the librarian and the guardsman blushed slightly at hearing that. "W-well, it's not like we haven't thought about it…" Twilight began.

"Oh, darling, you two must simply get on with it!" Rarity complained. "You know we're all waiting!"

"W-whatever!"

Tyr chuckled softly, although there was a bit of trepidation in it. Marriage had been a concept that had been on his mind for a while now. Glancing over at Luna, he tried to read her expression upon hearing the idea of marriage. She was smiling, but it was difficult to tell if it had bothered her or affected her in some way. He turned back before she could look at him.

Luna caught the sideways glance Tyr had shot over at her. "Is something the matter?" She asked softly.

"Hm?" He glanced back over at her, seeing a look of concern on her face. He smiled warmly back to assure her. "I'm alright. Just relieved Ace didn't get himself killed."

"It would have been an honorable death!" Ace said grandly, pounding his hand against his chest. He winced. "…Ow."

"You're such an idiot sometimes, big brother," Beat said with a playful giggle.

"A lovable idiot," Ace said, pulling Dash into a one armed hug. The athletic girl grinned and kissed his cheek.

"Well, I reckon y'all were made for each other then," Applejack said with a chuckle. "Two lovable idiots."

"I really have to get started on this party!" Pinkie squealed again.

"Pinkie-winkle, don't you have work?" Rarity asked, tapping Pinkie on the shoulder.

"Oh! Well… planning can come later then."

"Hey, can we come too?" Sweetie Bell and Applebloom asked suddenly.

"You two hungry or something?"

"Nah, we wanna help Sherry bake some stuff for Scootaloo!"

"Oh, that sounds like fun!"

Sherry smiled softly. "I guess I can show you guys my new recipes."

Pinkie bounced up and down happily. "Then what are we waiting for? There's sugar waiting to be baked!"

A stream of confetti followed Pinkie as she led the three girls out of the room. "I guess we should be leaving as well, darling," Rarity said, brushing some confetti out of her hair. "You both keep yourself healthy, alright?"

"Kay," Ace and Scootaloo replied.

"We'll meet up later," Tyr said, waving as they moved to the door with the others. Ace waved back, he and his little sister getting into a conversation.

"So what do we do now?" Luna asked once they were out in the hallway.

"I guess we drop Sherry off. And then…" He smirked. "Wanna go home and play around?"

Luna blinked, and then blushed deeply. "I… um…"

Tyr laughed, realizing what Luna had thought. "I mean play a game, Moony. Like, on the PS3?"

"Oh! Oh… right. Oh, stop laughing at me!"

-x-

"We need another chocolate cake!" Mr. Cake called from the front counter.

"Coming~" Pinkie said, balancing a cake on her head, and two others in her hands. Bouncing along, she passed by Sherry and her friends working at cleaning a messy counter. "Oh ,you guys made a big mess! Why didn't you invite me?"

"It was unintentional!" Sweetie Bell protested, dusting flour off her face. "My… um… whatever I was making exploded!"

"I still can't figure out how you made dough explode," Applebloom said, shaking her head at Sweetie Bell.

Sherry giggled as she pulled a tray of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. "I think you may have put too much yeast in it."

"How much should I put in then…?"

Pinkie put down the cakes on the front counter. "I'll show you!" She sang, bouncing back over. Sherry smiled as she took the tray of cinnamon rolls up to the counter.

"Oh, so those are the famous cinnamon rolls?" A musical female voice asked. Sherry looked up to find a young woman with long, silky straight black hair and piercing green eyes. Her skin was pale, yet her slender, womanly body gave her a refined air about her. A simple black off the shoulder dress accented her features, and a pale white jacket covered her shoulders. A black sunhat sat atop her head, adorned by a black rose. A raven necklace hung low as she leaned over to smell Sherry's baked goods. "They smell wonderful."

"T-thank you…" Sherry stammered. The woman was incredibly beautiful, and Sherry found herself unable to look away.

"Dear, it seems we have the right place."

The woman was addressing the man to her right, an average height man with long black dreads. He was dark skinned, more than likely darker than Tyr, and his eyes were a dark violet red. He was wearing a black trench coat, and his hands were shoved in the pockets. As Sherry met his eyes with hers, she could see what looked like laughter in them, the same kind of look he saw on Pinkie Pie's face whenever she was being silly. "Well, hello there," He said amicably. He smiled softly. Despite his somewhat imposing presence, he gave off a kind aura.

"Um… hello." Sherry swallowed. "Are you… um… here for something to eat?"

"Ah, you're offering?" The man grinned slightly. Sherry stared at him in confusion for a long moment. The woman in black nudged him with her elbow. "What? I'm only teasing, Mercy."

"I'm well aware, Jehu." Mercy frowned.

"…What my wife is saying," Jehu said with a chuckle, turning back to Sherry. "We heard about some famous cinnamon buns that were sold here."

"We were passing through, so we decided to see if the rumors were true," Mercy added.

"I don't think they're good enough to warrant being called famous," Sherry said modestly. The two adults before her smiled warmly.

"A modest heart is always refreshing," Mercy said with a soft laugh. "Regardless, we would like to try them for ourselves, if you please."

"Um… yes, please!"

Jehu and Mercy sat down at a nearby table while Sherry hurried back to retrieve some of her cinnamon rolls. She spared a dough covered Sweetie Bell a confused look before continuing on to grabbing the rolls. She put a pair on two plates before going back out. Jehu and Mercy were talking quietly, looking up when she approached. There was a strange cube on the table between them that was covered in strange runes. Jehu shifted it over as Sherry came over. "Ah, that smell is heavenly," Mercy murmured.

"I can agree with you there, love." Jehu grinned as Sherry set the two plates in front of them.

"P-please enjoy…" Sherry said. Why was she so nervous? Sure, she normally didn't serve customers, but why did this feel so… hard? As she was contemplating that, a comforting hand alighted atop her head. She looked up to find Jehu's hand gently rubbing her head.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Jehu told her. "We won't hurt you."

Mercy nodded, delicately cutting one roll into pieces and putting one piece in her mouth. Sherry hadn't seen anyone eat that delicately except for Rarity. "I understand my husband seems threatening, but he's just a big softie inside."

Jehu shot her a glare. "Hey, I have four daughters. I kinda have to be a softie."

"You have four daughters?" Sherry asked in surprise.

"Yeah, four loving girls." Mercy smiled. "Only one of them isn't mine."

"Our youngest is a girl we've technically adopted," Jehu explained, seeing the surprised look on Sherry's face. "Her mother asked us to take care of her."

"Oh…" Sherry thought for a moment. "I was… I mean I am adopted."

Jehu and Mercy's eyes widened at that. After a long moment of silence, Jehu smiled softly. "Are you happy with your new parent?"

Sherry brightened at that question. "Yes! I love my dad a whole lot!"

"Then that is good enough in and of itself," Mercy said with a smile.

"I agree. Plus, there's Luna and Chrysalis at home too, so I have a family that loves me very much."

"Well, that's always good," Jehu said. He grinned widely. "Family is always important."

"Mmhm!"

Jehu glanced down at the table. "Well. I was not expecting that."

Sherry frowned, not understanding what he meant. "Mr. Jehu?" She followed his gaze down to the table. To her shock, she found her hand resting atop the cube. "…What?"

"It seems we were correct," Mercy said, a frown deepening on her face. "Although I was not expecting her to be drawn to it so…"

"What's going on…?" Sherry asked, frightened. The cube had begun to glow, and a soft dark violet light emerged from the runes. Her panic was beginning to grow by the second.

"Now, I need you to not panic," Jehu said calmly. "What you are experiencing is resonance with a very old relic that has the ability to affect reality based on the whims of its owner. It seems that you are its owner."

Sherry stared at him. "Owner?"

"Wielder, possessor, blah, blah… You're the one it decided it to react to." Jehu shrugged. "So now what happens…?"

"You don't know!?"

Jehu shrugged. "No. I brought that thing with me on a whim. I didn't expect this at all. Although it is kinda a good thing."

"How!?"

"Um… dear," Mercy said slowly, glancing out the window as she dapped a few crumbs off her lips. "It seems we have very little time to explain."

Sherry looked out of the window to see a scene of abject terror. A crowd of people, human and Equestrian alike, were fleeing from massive creatures made of stones bearing the same symbols. Her mouth fell open as the creatures shifted and transformed into a myriad of shapes, from lions and bears to even massive serpents. The sounds of panic could be heard even from inside the shop. "What in Celestia's name is going on?" Mrs. Cake cried, freezing in the middle of the shop.

"This got out of hand really fast," Jehu said with a low whistle. He stood up, grabbing his cinnamon roll and munching on it as he faced the window. One of the stone creatures, in the shape of a tiger, turned and looked at him. With a loud snarl, it leapt through the window at him. Mrs. Cake screamed.

"Mr. Jehu!" Sherry cried. The dark skinned man didn't move as the stone tiger closed in on him. He was going to die—

"Now that's not polite at all," Jehu said with a wicked grin. Just before the stone tiger could close on him, he stepped to the side, letting it pass by harmlessly. Then, with his right arm, smashed it into the ground with a savage blow. The tiling on the ground shattered, and shards of stone and tile scattered like broken glass. Jehu straightened up as the stone creature shattered into pieces. He dusted his arm off. "Well then."

The voices of the other customers reached Sherry then, most expressing distressed at what was going on outside while others were remarking at the scene they had just missed. "What's going on out here, everybody?" Pinkie asked, peeking out from the kitchen. "Did I miss something fun?"

"Nah, I just broke something," Jehu said, glancing at the pile of stones on the floor. "Do I have to pay for it?"

"It's not from the shop, is it?" Pinkie asked, coming over. "If it isn't, you don't have to pay."

"…It's not from the shop," Jehu said with a grin.

"Then you don't have to pay!" Pinkie said cheerily.

"Wonderful!"

"Jehu," Mercy murmured softly. "There are quite a few more."

"Well, we should do something, huh?" Jehu walked over and put a few bills on the counter and then went back over to his wife. Mr. Cake stared down at the small wad of cash on the counter top.

"Um…" He stuttered a bit.

"Yes?" Jehu turned slightly.

"This is t-too much, sir…"

"Hm. Well, I didn't really count it out, did I?" Jehu thought for a moment. "Well, take out the cost, and then give the rest to her." He jerked his thumb towards Sherry.

"M-me?" Sherry said, incredulously.

"Consider it a gift." He grinned. "We did just change your life."

"Darling," Mercy said, a little roughly. "We may need to go outside."

The outside street was in chaos. Stone creatures were running rampant, attacking everyone on sight. The street was littered with injured and Jehu could easily see there were some dead. He bit his lower lip in consternation. "Well, this is well outside of our expectations…"

"I'm beginning to regret not bringing the girls with us," Mercy muttered.

"Aw, this way we have more fun!"

"…Can you ever not consider how fun things are?"

"Hey, life is fun."

"Honestly, I don't know how I put up with you."

"You love me, of course!"

A trio of Equestrian girls ran past, pursued by a massive stone snake. Mercy glanced at her husband. "…Shall we?"

"We SHALL!" Jehu roared victoriously, leaping out of the store and smashing into the side of the stone snake. To the horror and amazement of the people in the store, the impact knocked the snake off course, grinding it into the side of a nearby building. In a shower of stone and wood, the snake fell to the ground. Jehu emerged from a hole in its side, a wild grin on his face as he ripped out a glowing violet stone from its core. A wash of violet light exploded from inside the stone beast, a screech of a violent sound piercing the air. The snake fell apart into a myriad of smaller stones. Jehu looked surprised, and glanced back at his wife. "I think I broke this one."

Mercy shook her head, but a small smile was on her face. "Sherry? Stay close. They will more than likely come after you."

"Why?"

"Because you're holding the cube. Obviously, they're either after it, or…" She trailed off. "Or they're trying to eliminate all threats they perceive…"

"Who are you two…?" Sherry asked timidly, holding the cube close to her. She didn't know what it was, what it did, or where it came from. But something in the back of her mind told her to hang onto it, constantly reminding her that she needed to keep it close.

"Us?" Mercy thought for a moment before smiling softly. "We're just travelers."

She dashed out of Sugarcube Corner, Sherry following a moment after. Jehu had vanished further into town, but the sounds of fighting could be heard from further away. "Miss Mercy, what are we going to do?"

"Jehu will attempt to draw them away from any civilians while I hunt for those that stray. You simply stay beside me and stay safe. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes!"

"Good girl." Mercy held out her left arm, and a black metal bow of an elegant design formed in her hand. Her clothes rippled and flowed, changing into a pure white blouse accompanied by a frilled skirt that fell just past her knees. She smiled, eyes glowing ever so softly. "Now. We hunt."

-x-

"I didn't know you were into these kind of games as well, Tyr," Luna said quietly, watching her beloved play Rome Total War on his computer in the game room. Tyr was expertly maneuvering his units around the videogame battlefield, outsmarting the computer and easily snatching victory. He smiled triumphantly as he leaned back in his seat.

"I play a lot of different things," Tyr said honestly. "Whenever I see something interesting, I try it out. The Total War series fit my love of strategy games."

"It seems difficult."

"It's because you don't know how to play. See, if I taught you, it wouldn't seem so bad."

Chrys glanced over from tickling Snow's stomach. "Isn't that true of most things?" She asked lazily.

"I suppose that is true," Tyr agreed with a chuckle. "In my case, I just like ancient military history. Especially things like siege equipment. I guess that's the engineer in me."

"Hm…" Luna looped her arms around Tyr's neck. "Well, whatever you enjoy, I simply enjoy being able to enjoy it with you."

Tyr turned his head enough so that his lips could meet hers. As he was once again reminded of how soft Luna's lips were and how much she smelled lightly of blueberries, He felt Chrys's gaze on them. [Does this bother you?] He thought.

[…Not particularly]

[If it does, you can tell me]

[I'm fine]

[Chrys. Your Master demands you tell him what's bothering you]

[…I feel left out]

Tyr and Luna ended their kiss. "Left out?" Tyr muttered, glancing past Luna to look at Chrys. She wasn't looking at them, instead watching Snow trying to squeeze between the couch cushions.

"We would like it if you two didn't hold conversations while we are kissing you," Luna said, narrowing her eyes at Tyr. He smiled back apologetically.

"Heh… sorry Moonie."

Luna turned to Chrys. "And you. What do you mean you feel left out?"

Chrys was silent for a long moment, obviously attempting to search for the proper words to say. "I… as much as I do not need sex to live, you can understand if I feel a little frustrated."

"…Frustrated?" Luna could see where this was going. Unbeknownst to both Tyr and Chrys, she had been using her magic at night to look through dreams, as she used to in Equestria. Chrys's dreams had mostly entertained the idea of her, Luna and Tyr spending the night together. Tyr seemed a bit more out of the loop, but as he explored his Bond with Chrys, he could feel what Chrys was feeling. Suddenly, all three of them were blushing.

Chrys let out a small breath. "…I want… to at least… _relieve…_ my stress," She said slowly.

"Oh god," Tyr muttered, resting his face in his hand.

Luna's blush deepened. "You want to have s-sex with Tyr?"

Chrys's blush deepened as well, but she tried to keep a straight face. She unconsciously started messing with her collar. "I mean, I actually am repulsed by the idea of it being anyone but my Master…"

"As much as I can understand that…" Luna began, before pausing in thought. "…I may be spending too much time around you. I am actually considering this…"

Tyr suddenly sat up in his chair. Chrys grinned at the motion. "Getting excited, Master? Looking forward to having two Luna's?"

Luna stared at the Changeling in shock. "You haven't let go of that… ridiculous idea!?"

"Well, I haven't heard Master refuse it yet…"

"Shush, you two," Tyr said, holding up a hand. The two girls stopped talking and fell silent. "Do you… do you hear screaming?"

"Yes, I do believe I do," Chrys said, sitting up. "Also, I distinctly taste fear."

They jumped up and rushed out of the game room, quickly leaving the house and emerging outside. They froze upon seeing the devastation before them. A large number of people were fleeing from a pack of stone wolves. "What on earth…!" Tyr breathed.

"We need to help them!" Luna declared.

"Well, considering the… creatures we face, I don't think I can really help much," Tyr said. The rocky exterior of the creatures would more than likely resist a bullet.

"I believe you have sold yourself short, Master," Chrys said, hands glowing with dark green light. "Have you forgotten about your own magic?"

"I've barely managed to master levitation!" Tyr protested. "And now you're expecting me to use it in a combat situation?"

Chrys went over to him and pushed her face into his. "Perhaps having your life on the line will hurry your mastery."

"Remember beloved," Luna said softly. "Your magic is shaped by your thoughts. Focus."

Tyr sighed. "…Alright. I can't sit by while my town is under attack anyway." Tyr focused his mind on activating his latent magic, managing to at least activate it. The silver glow almost seemed digital in nature, looking like pixels of energy wafting off of the aura.

A roar distracted them then, and they turned to look. A massive stone beast in the shape of a huge boar was charging towards them. "Oh dear," Chrys murmured.

Luna's magic surged forth, and she launched a salvo of dark blue magic towards the stone boar. The bolts of energy smashed into its hide, chipping off stone but causing no serious damage. Luna leapt aside as the boar continued its charge, using her wings to quickly get out of the way. "It is a lot tougher than it looks," she murmured.

Screams from behind them distracted Tyr for a moment. The wolves were chasing a group of girls towards them. He recognized Bon-Bon and Lyra in the group. "Master! Careful!"

Tyr whirled on the spot to see the stone boar bearing down on him. He leapt aside, barely managing to dodge out of the way in time. The boar's charge took it into a nearby house, levelling it. "Such indiscriminate destruction…" Luna muttered, incredulous.

"Lyra!" Bon-Bon screamed as her blonde friend tripped. Lyra turned over in time to see a stone wolf leaping for her throat. Fangs slashed down, but impacted something hard.

"Wh-what?" Lyra breathed, looking up at the wolf. A suit of silver armor stood between her and the stone beast, a shield of silver energy holding the beast back. She looked back to find Tyr, his arm outstretched and glowing with his silver aura. "H-how…?"

"Move!" Tyr commanded, shocking the musician to movement. She stumbled to her feet just as Bon-Bon rushed over to drag her away. Now, with a new threat, the stone wolves turned to Tyr. He smiled nervously. "I didn't mean you…"

They charged him. "Tyr!" Luna cried out, but the boar was charging at her and she had to fly out of the way again.

"Figures all I can think of is video game stuff," Tyr said ruefully as the wolves closed in. "PHALANX!"

A squad of silver armored soldiers with long silver pikes formed around Tyr, weapons lowering just as the wolves reached him. The stone creatures broke apart against the wall of points. The wolves that survived quickly retreated, regrouping a short distance away. Tyr dismissed his soldiers, eyes drifting to the aura around his hands. "He can make constructs…?" Chrys murmured, surprised.

"CHRYSALIS!" Luna called out sharply. The changeling turned, and came face to face with the boar.

"Oh." Chrys frowned. "Hellfire and damnation—"

She didn't get to finish the curse, as the boar head-butted her clear across the street into a nearby building. She smashed through a window and into the inside, slumping to the floor, unmoving. "Dear night, is she alright?" Luna asked, horrified.

"She's alive," Tyr said, facing down the stone boar. The runes along its body glowed ever so softly. Chrys was alive, but that blow had knocked her unconscious. The power this thing had was immense, and he was sure one blow would knock him out as well. Or worse, kill him outright. "…Luna—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he felt the mark on his back flare to life, burning like a brand. Both he and the stone boar turned at the same time.

"Wait, what?" Luna blinked as both the massive stone creature and her boyfriend came charging at her. Tyr reached her first, wrapping his arms around her as the boar closed in. "T-Tyr!"

"Tortoise," Tyr muttered, and his magic flared to life in response. A shell made of pure silver shields manifested around them, held in place by armored figures. The shields locked into place just as the boar hit them. To Luna's shock, the impact shook the shell, but did not break it. The boar, deflected by the defense, slid to the side, its charge taking it right into the side of Tyr's home.

"Oh no…!" Luna said, horrified. The impact had torn a huge chunk out of the left side of the house, knocking a hole into the kitchen.

Tyr was momentarily distracted with the sight of his home being destroyed by this strange beast, and felt his control over his magic waver. The boar, sensing its opportunity, spun on the spot and charged back. Tyr was barely able to shore up his defenses for the second attack. The boar kept pushing, trying to break the small, silver turtle shell in front of it. "I can't hold this up forever," Tyr groaned. Despite quickly grasping the concept of using his magic, he still couldn't maintain it as well. Luna looked up at him. He was visibly struggling, and from the looks of it could not hold out much longer. Without saying a word, she placed her hand over the center of his chest and concentrated. "Luna, what are you… whoa!"

He could feel Luna's magic flowing into him, shoring up his weaknesses and calming him like a quiet moonlit night. The silver of his magic darkened a bit, incorporating a bit of Luna's royal blue. "I am always with you," Luna said softly.

Tyr smiled down at his princess. "Thanks love. Porcupine!"

The silver soldiers making the turtle drew spears, and thrust them outwards, stabbing into the stone boar. Chunks of stone broke off, revealing a glowing violet core. "That must be its core!" Luna said hurriedly.

"Smash it!"

Tyr dismissed one of the soldiers, opening a hole that exposed the glowing core. Luna broke her connection to Tyr, gathering up her own magic into a massive ball that she hurled into the beast. The conflicting magic clashed, and then detonated in a spectacular fashion, scattering the rune stones everywhere. Once the blast had receded, Tyr let his magic fall away, the silver soldiers vanishing. He staggered a bit, and Luna caught him before he could fall. "Are you alright, beloved?" She had a concerned look on her face. As far as she knew, the human body wasn't accustomed to using magic, so using it probably had exhausted him. She helped him sit on the ground.

"I'll be fine," Tyr muttered, letting out a heavy breath. "I didn't realize magic was so… tiring."

"It is like your body, right? The more you train it, the more endurance you'll have."

"I suppose that's true. Thanks for helping me out back there."

"That's what it means to be in a relationship, right?" She smiled, remembering the words he had told her back when they had first started dating. She reached out and gently ran her hands across his cheek. "We work together."

Tyr smiled and kissed her. "Of course, my dear. Now, we should go check on Chrys."

"No need," They heard the Changeling call. They turned around to find Chrys coming over to them, one eye closed and a small stream of blood dripping from a cut on her forehead. She was holding her arm and limping a slight bit. "I assume everything has been dealt with?"

"Jesus, Chrys!" Tyr jumped up and went over to her, taking her face in his hands. "Are you alright?"

"Nothing that won't heal," Chrys said, a little embarrassed.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Luna asked, coming over. Worry was on her face as well.

"I believe it is sprained."

"Does it hurt?"

"Only If I move it…"

Tyr frowned. "We should get that cut over your eye looked at. It looks deep."

"I'm a nurse," A woman called, coming over. Tyr turned to look and found himself face to face with a young, attractive redhead Equestrian woman, her blue eyes full of concern. She brushed her hair back and swiftly tied it into a ponytail. "Would you like me to take a look?"

"That would be helpful, Miss…?" Luna frowned, not able to recognize the girl.

"Saving Grace, princess Luna," The woman bowed slightly.

"A pleasure, Saving Grace. If you would…?"

"Please, call me Grace." Grace moved over to Chrys, lightly pushing Tyr out of the way. She placed her hand up near Chrys's wound, revealing the caduceus symbol on the back of her hand. But instead of the usual rod that the twin snakes coiled around, there was a sword. The whole symbol sat over a red medic's cross. Grace's hand glowed with a soft pink aura. As Tyr watched, the cut above Chrys's eye began to close and heal. After a moment, the cut was closed. "There we go. You'll have to get the blood off yourself."

"Thank you," Chrys said.

"I've never seen magic like that," Tyr murmured.

"I've never seen magic like yours," Grace countered, undoing her pony tail to let her hair fall about her shoulders. "Creating magical soldiers? That's a new one."

"I'm getting used to it myself anyway."

"You…" She trailed off, glancing past Tyr. Her eyes ran over him before stopping just short of his waist.

"Staring at his rear end?" Chrys asked playfully. Grace turned as red as her hair.

"N-no! I was wondering about his tail!" She glanced at Tyr. "You aren't Equestrian?"

"No, I'm human." Tyr replied.

"Then how…"

"Tyr!" Lyra and Bon-Bon ran over to him. Both girls were exhausted, but safe.

"Lyra, Bon-Bon, I'm glad you two are okay."

"So am I," Bon-Bon said, "But look!"

Everyone looked back in the direction of the main part of town. Smoke was rising up from a couple fires, and the sounds of panic could be heard all the way out there. "Dear Celestia…" Grace murmured.

"We have to go help," Luna said, just as a groaning noise came from behind them. They all whirled just in time to see the supports of Tyr's home gave way and the entire structure collapsed with a loud crash. Everyone stood there in mute shock.

"Damn," Grace murmured.

"Our house…" Chrys murmured, before suddenly gasping. "Snow!" She flew towards the wreckage, panic on her face. Her magic flared to life, and then she was flinging debris any which way. She uncovered the couch from the living room. "Where… no, he can't be…"

A soft meow came from the couch, and the little kitten pulled itself out from between the cushions. Chrys stared down at the kitten in pure shock while Snow looked up at his owner with playful eyes. "Freaking ninja cat," Tyr muttered with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, little Snow! You had me worried!" Chrys scooped up the kitten and left the ruins of Tyr's home, rejoining her master and his girlfriend. "He's okay!"

"Thank goodness," Tyr said. He had felt the fear from Chrys when she had gone in to look. He couldn't imagine what would have happened if that kitten hadn't been found.

"What about the town!?" Grace asked, trying to get everyone back on track.

"We can't fight whatever those things are!" Lyra protested. "It was all we could do to run away!"

"We can," Tyr said resolutely, standing up. He was still a little shaky, and Luna immediately voiced her concern.

"Tyr, you can't fight in this state! You aren't used to your magic yet!"

"I'm not talking about that," Tyr corrected, smiling softly. "We need to get Twilight and the girls. They can help us, right?"

Luna brightened up. "Y-yes, that's right! Twilight Sparkle and her friends may already be fighting these creatures!"

"Then we should hurry and help them," Chrys murmured. "If we had this much trouble with one…"

"Then who knows what kind of trouble the girls are in," Tyr finished. "Let's get going."

-x-

"What are these things made out of!?" Dash snarled, kicking away an eagle shaped stone creature. The rune creatures had swarmed her as she, Twilight and Flash were flying home from the hospital. The stone eagle smashed against a wall and fell apart, only to reform and come back after them.

"I don't understand," Twilight murmured, blasting a stone eagle away with a stream of violet energy. "Where did they all come from…?"

"I don't think it matters," Flash said, swatting an eagle away from its attempt to claw out his eyes. "I think we should probably try to find out how to stop them."

"The only thing really working is Egghead's magic," Dash snapped, "And even THAT is hit or miss!"

"We need to find Princess Celestia," Twilight assured her. "She'll know what to do."

A massive crash from below them caught their attention. An elephant creature was marching down the street, moving directly towards the vet's office. "Fluttershy!" Dash gasped, realizing that was where her friend was.

Down below, Marilyn and Fluttershy were watching the approach of the massive stone creature with undisguised fear. "What is that thing!?" Marilyn gasped.

"I-I don't know!" Fluttershy squeaked. The two women pushed further back into the building as the stone elephant came closer. But before it could smash into the building, a bolt of violet energy smashed into its back, distracting it. She looked up to find her friends flying above the stone creature, Twilight glowing with her magical aura. "Twilight!"

"Fluttershy, get out of there!" Dash called, flying in front of the elephant. It tried to swat her out of the air, but missed by a wide margin.

"B-but the animals!" Fluttershy protested, glancing back to the scared animals in their cages. She couldn't just leave them in there.

"We can find out how to stop this thing," Twilight murmured to herself. She looked down at the massive stone creature, shifting into her state of mind she used for studying. It was covered in runes that didn't make sense to her, and they were glowing a soft violet. The other creatures were covered in the same kinds of runes, but there were so many varieties. The commonality between them all was their resistance to physical damage, as only her magic seemed to really have any lasting effect. But the ones they had managed to break only ended up reforming. How were they supposed to destroy these things…? "Twilight, watch out!"

Flash slammed into his girlfriend from the side, wrapping his wings around her to protect her from the sudden swarm of stone eagles that attacked. Flash grunted in pain as several sharp beaks stabbed into his back. "F-Flash!"

"I know you're trying to figure them out, but don't get so distracted!" Flash hissed, flapping his wings powerfully. The force of the motion blew the eagles off of him, and he let her go.

"Y-your back!"

"I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse."

"We need to stop this thing!" Dash called.

"I know, I know!" Twilight chewed at her lip. "But I don't know what to do…!"

"Twilight!" Dash was exasperated, but in her panic had turned away from the main threat. The stone elephant caught her with its trunk, smashing her down into the ground with a sickening crunch. The sound caught everyone by surprise.

"Dash!" Twilight cried.

"Dashie!" Fluttershy cried out in horror.

"Oh dear Celestia…!"

Dash was motionless, one wing twisted at an awkward angle and a lot of blood scattered about. The three Equestrians looked on in horror. The stone elephant moved over and raised one leg to crush the unconscious Pegasus girl. The suddenly a stern voice broke the silence. "DON'T. YOU. DARE."

All eyes fell to Fluttershy, a fierce look on her face as she flew slowly out of the vet's office and towards the stone creature. "Fluttershy, no!" Marilyn said, still terrified.

"How DARE you hurt my friend!" The normally shy girl had flown up directly into the stone creature's face, blue eyes stern. The stone elephant actually shrunk back a bit in a form of surprise. "I don't care if you're bigger, or stronger, or whatever! That does not give you the right to go around hurting people!"

"What the hell…?" Flash murmured, landing on a nearby rooftop. He could do nothing but watch in surprise as Fluttershy stared down the massive beast. The elephant moved its trunk to try and swat her away, but it's beady violet eyes were trapped in Fluttershy's blue ones.

"The Stare…" Twilight murmured in awe, landing beside her boyfriend.

Fluttershy stared down the stone beast, slowly forcing it back away from her fallen friend. "Now you just turn right around and get out of here, or you don't know WHAT I might do to you!"

The stone elephant hesitated for only a moment before turning as fast as it could and tromping off down the street. As it retreated around a corner, everyone sat there in silence as Fluttershy slowly floated back to the ground. "By Celestia's name, that was impressive," Flash said, shaking his head. "How in the world did you do that?"

"She used the Stare," Twilight explained. "I don't know how it works, but it does."

A groan from Dash brought everyone's attention back to their fallen friend. Fluttershy was by her side in an instant, Twilight and Flash flying down to join them a moment later. "Dashie! Are you okay?"

"Battered, bruised, and beaten," Dash muttered, sitting up with Fluttershy's help. "But I guess I'm still alive."

"You look rough," Flash told her.

"Whatever. Applejack hits harder than that." Dash spit on the ground. "Did you guys take it out?"

"Fluttershy drove it away," Twilight clarified. "She stared it down."

"Ah. Ugh," She winced, feeling the pain in her wing. "Oh, damn…"

"It should recover," Fluttershy assured her. "But we should set it. Come on inside."

"We can bandage your wounds as well while we're at it," Twilight said, looking over at Flash. He grunted in response.

"I am totally petitioning Princess Celestia to let the Guard have swords…"

-x-

"What's goin on out there?" Applebloom asked.

"I dunno," Sweetie Bell said. The two of them were standing at the window, peering out at the destruction the stone creatures were causing. No one was telling them anything, and not even the Cakes could tell them where Sherry had gone. All the information they had was in the reddening sky and the smoke trails rising up. Neither girl had to say that they were confused and worried.

"Girls, get away from the windows," Mrs. Cake said.

"But Mrs. Cake, nothing is going on," Sweetie Bell complained.

"Just… stay away from the windows, okay?"

Applebloom snorted softly. "Ain't like nothing will happen."

"Look out!" someone screamed, and the two girls turned back to the window to see a large stone bull covered in runes like all the other stone creatures. The bull huffed and pawed at the ground. Sweetie Bell screamed.

Just before the bull could charge, a mass of confetti and streamers smashed into it, knocking it aside like someone had kicked an empty can. Everyone turned around to see Pinkie standing behind a large cannon, confetti raining down her like she was having her own victory party. "SURPRISE!" She sang, giggling wildly.

"My goodness!" Mrs. Cake gasped. "Pinkie Pie, what on earth…?"

"That was amazin'!" Applebloom said.

"I think it only made it mad!" Sweetie Bell pointed out. The stone bull was recovering, shaking itself free of the party decorations. It huffed once more before charging towards the store.

"Hold on there, partner!"

A rope tied into a lasso came flying out of nowhere, hooking around the stone bull's neck and pulling taut. The pull forced the bull off course and it crashed into a parked car. As it struggled to rise, a large piece of debris floated over and dropped down onto it, burying it. Applebloom and Sweetie Bell looked to see who their saviors were, although both were almost certain of who they were before seeing them. "Such dreadful design," Rarity was saying as she and Applejack walked over. "Such a dull brown simply does not go with violet!"

"I reckon I wouldn't know much about all that," AJ said dryly. "I'm just more worried about all these… things suddenly showin' up all over."

"Applejack!"

"Rarity!"

The two girls were suddenly embraced by their younger sisters, interrupting their conversation. "Oh, I'm so glad you are all right," Rarity said, pulling Sweetie Bell into an embrace.

"We came rushing over when all this happened," Applejack explained. "Wanted to make sure y'all young'uns were alright."

"Although I do not see Sherry anywhere," Rarity murmured, looking around. "Is she inside?"

"She's—" Sweetie Bell began, but Applebloom cut her off.

"It's getting back up!" She cried, pointing. Applejack and Rarity looked back to find the stone bull pulling itself out of the rubble. AJ whistled.

"Whoo wee! Seems that thing is about as tough to crack as a frozen walnut!"

"How unnecessarily… brutish," Rarity murmured.

The bull roared and came charging at them, horns lowered. Without missing a beat, Applejack hooked her lasso around the bull's neck again, pulling hard. This time the bull turned sharply, hooking around to charge at her. "Be careful!" Applebloom warned her sister, but AJ had a confident look on her face. She rushed forward, leaping up onto the beast's back.

"YEEHAW!" Applejack cried, hooking her legs into the stone creature as it began to buck.

"Oh, that girl!" Rarity huffed. "Always trying to show off!"

"Trying to—show—off—isn't—what—I was—trying to do!"

One of Applejack's legs came down hard, and smashed a small hole in the side of the beast. Rarity spotted the glowing violet gem inside, the same color that radiated from all over the creature. "That gem… is it controlling it?" She asked herself.

"Whoa nelly!" AJ was tossed from the back of the bull with one powerful buck, and she landed roughly a short distance away. She was back on her feet in a second. "That thing's got some fight in it."

"I believe I know how we can stop it," Rarity said. "You see that gem?"

"Rarity, this ain't no time for…" AJ's eyes fell on the revealed glowing gem. "You mean that thing?"

"Yes, I do. I believe if we were to remove it…"

"…the whole thing comes apart. But how are we gonna get to it?"

"I believe I have an idea. Or at least, a hyper active girlfriend."

"…Come again?"

"Ole!" Pinkie called out. She was dressed in complete bullfighting attire, including the iconic red cape.

"What in tarnation…?"

Even though it was a strange stone construct, the bull reacted to the cape, lowering its head and preparing to charge. Pinkie pulled the cape off her arm and waved it teasingly. The bull snorted, and rushed forward, only to have Pinkie pull the cape out of the way at the last second. The momentum carried the bull past, only for it to spin quickly to face its opponent. Pinkie smiled slightly and held out the cape again. Thus taunted, the bull came charging back only to be miss the party girl. Another pass, another dodge, another pass, and another dodge; it really began to seem like Pinkie was having fun. The wild grin on her face was nothing short of ecstatic. The bull reared up and made one last charge, missing Pinkie once more. However this time, the bull's charge caused it to smash into a brick wall, stunning itself on impact. Applejack seized her chance and lassoed the creature again, quickly running over and hogtying it. It was truly a testament to her famer life that she managed to tie it up. The beast struggled, but with its legs tied up it had no ability to escape. Rarity walked over and called her magic to her. With a quick gesture with her hands, she yanked the violet gem from inside the creature, causing it to fall to pieces on the spot.

"Well, that's that, I reckon," Applejack said, retrieving her rope.

"Yes, quite." Rarity sighed. She glanced at the gem in her hand. After being removed from the creature, it had lost most of its glow and luster. She tossed it aside, wanting nothing to do with a gemstone that had come from something attempting to kill her. "Although I must ask… Pinkie, where on earth did you get that outfit?"

"I bought it after my bullfighting lessons!" Pinkie said happily, bouncing over to them.

"You took bullfightin' lessons?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup! I had a lot of fun!"

"Well," Rarity said slowly. "I suppose it _did_ come in handy…"

"That was amazing you guys!" Sweetie Bell cried as she and Applebloom came running over.

"Yeah! You showed that thing what for!" Applebloom chiming in, proud of her sister.

Applejack chuckled. "Well, I suppose that is true. But it was just one of em. There's bunches all over the place."

"So are ya going to go fight them too?"

"As much as I dread doing so…" Rarity began, only to get a sharp look from AJ. "…We need to. Who knows what kind of damage these dreadful things can cause."

"What should we do?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"…Stay here with the Cakes. I do not wish any harm to come to you, sister."

"But…"

"No buts now, y'hear?" Applejack frowned. "Y'all are too young to get mixed up in this. So you stay here until it's over, okay?"

Applebloom and Sweetie Bell looked extremely disappointed, but answered, "Okay…"

The two young girls walked slowly back into the shop. Their older sisters felt a small twinge of sadness at the looks on their faces, but it was in their best interest to keep them out of the way. "So where should we go?" Rarity asked.

"I reckon we should…" Applejack trailed off as a low growl came from behind them. The trio turned slowly to find a large stone gorilla looming over them menacingly. "…Horse-feathers."

"You wouldn't have anything to do about this, would you Pinkie dear?" Rarity asked nervously as they backed up together.

"N-no," Pinkie stuttered, grabbing Rarity's hand and squeezing it. "I didn't think I'd need the gorilla-fighting classes!"

"Then we go with our next best plan."

"Plan B?"

Rarity nodded. "We run!"

-x-

"Miss Mercy," Sherry spoke up after almost ten minutes of silence between her and the black haired woman as they made their way through the city. Mercy had kept them moving along side streets and alleys, narrowly avoiding any encounters with the stone creatures that seemed to be hunting her. Or at least, hunting her for the cube she now carried. At the sound of her voice, Mercy paused, turning her head to look at her.

"Yes?" She asked quietly, interest in her eyes. "What is it?"

"What are those things?"

Mercy thought for a moment. After a minute, she motioned for Sherry to follow her into an abandoned building. She closed the door behind them before finally speaking again. "Jehu and I call them Rubriks. They're magical constructs that are tied to that cube you're now holding."

"Rubriks…? But why are they after me?"

"That, I can't tell you. They could be anything, like a defense mechanism, a test of sorts, or maybe even just a random occurrence that has nothing to do with you. There's dozens of possibilities."

"So… why are you protecting me?"

Mercy smiled gently. "No matter if it's just some cosmic joke being played on you or fate pulling the strings, we never sit by and deny our help to someone in need."

"…Thank you."

"You don't have to thank us. But you're welcome."

"So… what do you think the Rubriks are?"

"Probably some kind of magical AI," Mercy said thoughtfully. "Perhaps connected to the cube in some way…"

"Connected to the cube…" Sherry mused quietly. If the Rubriks are connected to the cube…

"We should go," Mercy said. "From the sound of things, all of the Rubriks are converging on Jehu. There shouldn't be many left out here…" They walked out of the building, emerging back into the shaded sun. Sherry noticed their danger a moment before Mercy did.

"Miss Mercy, watch out!"

Mercy hardly had any time to process the warning before a roar from her right caught her attention. A massive bear shaped Rubrik was standing over her. She sighed. "Oh, damn it."

The bear swiped one powerful paw at her, smashing her into a nearby wall. The force of the impact cracked the concrete wall, and Mercy fell to the ground. "Miss Mercy!"

"Stay back!" Mercy hissed, jumping up to her feet quickly. She had moved like she wasn't too hurt, but the small stream of blood trickling out of the side of her mouth showed that she was in fact hurt. But as she faced off with the Rubrik, Sherry noticed something strange about Mercy. Her sun hat had fallen off, and in its place were—

"Cat ears?" Sherry murmured incredulously.

Ears twitching, Mercy faced down the stone bear. She was crouched low, looking like a waiting hunter while the bear was eyeing her like its next meal. Without warning the Rubrik bear attacked again, but Mercy moved like lightning. She leapt past the bear, landing against the wall before vaulting past it. The bear whirled as quickly as it could, but Mercy was much faster than the lumbering beast. "I hate having to deal with these things up close," Mercy mumbled, her bow melting down into a long spear. She vaulted up above the bear and came down hard. The lance stabbed into its open mouth, smashing the violet gem inside. The stone bear fell to pieces. Mercy twirled her lance in a wide flourish before standing at attention. She let out a breath. "All done."

Sherry was still frozen in shock. She managed to gain her voice just as Mercy came back over to her. "What… what are you?"

Mercy frowned at that, before noticing her hat lying on the ground. Her ears twitched a bit as she realized what Sherry was asking. "In common terms, I am an Anthromorph. Part animal, part… well. Let's just go with the whole 'I'm a magic animal' thing."

"You're magic?"

"Of a sorts. Magic is different between worlds."

"Between…?"

Mercy laughed softly, retrieving her hat and placing it back on her head. "Listen to me, talking about things you can't truly understand yet. Well, all in time, however. Come, we should go find my husband. No doubt he has gotten himself into a lot of trouble."

Mercy began walking, Sherry falling into step alongside her. It was a couple minutes before Sherry finally spoke up again. "Miss Mercy?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask a question?"

"…Yes, I do have a tail. I keep it under my skirt. It's a lot easier to hide than my ears."

Sherry glanced back at her own tail. "Tell me about it."

-x-

Jehu was enjoying himself. It had been quite some time since the last time he had fought anything, and he was loving every moment. He ducked under the claw of a stone dragon as it tried to take his head off and backhanded the offending limb, smashing it into dust. A stone wolf attacked, only to be viciously smashed into the ground. The ground around the man was littered with stone fragments, a testament to the unending battle he was waging alone. Not that he minded. He particularly enjoyed—

A beam of golden light tore through a line of stone wolves, shattering them and destroying the inner gems in one fell swoop. Jehu looked up in time to see Celestia alight nearby, hands glowing with magical power. "Hello again, Jehu. It has been a while."

Jehu casually backhanded a Rubrik rhino into a building, smashing it in the process. He grinned. "Why, it's awfully nice to have royalty remember me."

"How could I forget?" Celestia raised a hand and blasted a cloud of Rubrik eagles away. "You made such a good first impression."

"I seem to remember a certain drunk kitten of mine fawning all over me at the time."

Celestia giggled softly. "So how is Mercy doing?"

"Not drunk at least."

"I see you're keeping busy?"

Jehu looked around at all of the Rubriks gathered there. They were keeping their distance, wary of Celestia's power. "I've had such great company."

"Mind if I join you?"

Jehu made a very extravagant bow. "I would be honored, milady."

"COMING THROUGH!" Jehu and Celestia turned to see Flash, Twilight and Fluttershy rushing towards them, chased by a giant stone scorpion. As they ran, Twilight fired several ineffectual blasts of magic back at the creature, only for it to shrug off the attacks and rush forward faster.

"Good job babe, you made it angrier," Flash said, the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Be quiet," Twilight snapped. Her eyes fell upon her teacher. "Princess!"

"Twilight?" Celestia frowned. Jehu rolled his eyes.

"It was probably about time for something like this," He mumbled.

"Time for what?"

"Sister!" Celestia turned away from Jehu to see Luna, Tyr and Chrys running towards them. A pack of wolves chased after them. Almost simultaneously, AJ, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie came running over as well, the giant gorilla following them. In a matter of moments, they were backed into a circle against the encroaching Rubriks. "What are these monstrosities?"

"They are called Rubriks," Jehu said, matter of factly. "I don't know where they came from, what they are exactly, or what they want. Well, they want to kill us, so there's that."

"Well, I'm against just letting stuff kill me," Tyr muttered, readying his magic.

"Tyr…" Luna warned.

"Leave it to me," Chrys murmured, placing her hands on Tyr's back. Her hands glowed with a green aura as she channeled it into her master. "How does that feel, Master?"

"Good, Chrys. I should be able to last for a bit."

"…Anything for you, Master."

Jehu chuckled softly, and Celestia glanced at him. "Something funny?"

"Nah… just remembering something from long ago between me and Mercy."

"What are we going to do?" Fluttershy asked in a voice no louder than a whisper. She was probably afraid that if she spoke too loud, it would prompt the Rubriks to attack. The stone creatures were milling about, watching them and growling.

"Remember the Alamo," Jehu said with a small chuckle.

"What does that mean, darling?" Rarity asked.

"I believe it's an expression that means 'prepare for the worst'," Celestia said.

"I reckon we're about to get the worst," Applejack said.

The Rubriks gathered closer, before a roar from a massive lion shaped one spurred them into action. The small circle braced themselves to fight, right before a voice broke through the air.

"RUBRIK! HALT ACTION!"

The stone creatures stopped on a dime just short of the group. The Rubriks stayed frozen on the spot, even when Flash poked one with his finger. "What in the world…" Twilight murmured.

"Seems like we arrived just in time."

"Daddy!" Tyr turned at the voice, surprise appearing on his face as his daughter came running over to him. The two of them embraced while Mercy took her time walking over.

"Hello love," Jehu said once she came over to him. The two of them shared a short kiss. "Enjoy yourself?"

"I got smacked into a wall by a bear," Mercy said flatly.

"Did you kill it?"

"Of course."

"Good girl." Jehu patted her head, earning a blush from Mercy and for her to lean in close to him.

"Don't do that in public," She hissed, just low enough for just him to hear. "You _know_ they're sensitive."

"It's why I do it." Jehu grinned.

Mercy shook her head but didn't say anything. "Where were you?" Tyr asked, pulling his daughter out to arms-length. As he looked over her for injuries, he noticed the cube hanging from a chain around her neck. "…and where did you get that?"

"Mr. Jehu… gave it to me," Sherry said, frowning a bit. "He said it belonged to me."

"And considering that she shut down the Rubriks…" Jehu added.

"She shut them down?" Twilight frowned. "How on earth did she do that?"

"I got the idea when Miss Mercy said the Rubriks are like an AI," Sherry said. "And I figured since I have the control unit I should be able to give them commands."

"Which worked like a charm, it seems," Luna murmured.

"C-can you tell them to go away?" Fluttershy asked. She was curled up underneath the outstretched claws of a large stone scorpion.

"Um… I think so." Sherry reached up to touch the cube. "Rubrik. Go to standby mode." The cube glowed bright violet, and then the stone constructs fell apart, dissolving into dust and violet light that was quickly absorbed by the cube. "…There."

"Well!" Applejack said with a deep sigh. "It has been a long day! I'm plum tuckered out by now."

"Yes, I believe I have had enough excitement for one day," Fluttershy squeaked. AJ went over and hugged the shy girl comfortingly.

"I believe we all have." Celestia smiled warmly. "We should all go home and get some rest."

"Home, huh…" Tyr frowned. "That might be a problem."

"Why?"

Luna bit her bottom lip. "A large stone boar attacked us outside of Tyr's home. It smashed through several of the supports and brought the whole thing down."

"…Our house is destroyed?" Sherry asked, fear in her voice.

"Unfortunately yes, sweetie," Tyr said. "But the fact of the matter is that we're all safe. We can find somewhere else to live."

The cube began to glow again, becoming a bit brighter before fading away. "What was that?" Chrys asked. Snow picked that moment to push his way out through the top of her shirt to meow cutely.

"I don't know," Sherry answered honestly. "I still don't understand everything about this thing."

"Well, I guess we should at least try to salvage what we can," Tyr said.

"Why don't we all go help?" Twilight offered. The others agreed, save Jehu and Mercy.

"We actually have to be on our way," Jehu said. Mercy moved up beside him and took his hand in hers. "We'll try to come back and visit."

"It was cool meeting you two," Sherry said.

"It was a pleasure, little one," Mercy said, smiling.

Jehu looked surprised. "My wife, actually pleased to meet someone? How unusual!"

"Oh, stop." The raven haired beauty rolled her eyes. "Let's just get back to the Library."

-x-

"I don't believe this." Tyr muttered. "Despite the fact that I'm _looking right at it_ , I can't believe it."

"I cannot believe my eyes either, beloved," Luna said. "But… it is there. We cannot deny it."

"Mr. Jehu said the cube affected reality," Sherry offered. "Maybe it was the cause…?"

"It's a CASTLE!" Pinkie squealed. On the spot where Tyr's home used to be, a tall, castle like home now stood. It was at least four floors high, with stone walls and even crenellations and small towers along the top. Instead of a gate, there were a pair of double doors at least a couple feet taller than even Celestia, although a smaller door was located in it. It was quite impressive, and solidly built.

"This is quite the occurrence," Celestia murmured. "A castle, suddenly appearing?"

"It's big," Fluttershy murmured.

"That's an understatement, sugar," AJ said with a chuckle. "And I thought Tyr livin' in that older house with just the four of them in there was ridiculous…"

"You've probably got enough room in there to throw like, two parties!" Pinkie said, still giddy and excited. "No wait, like FOUR parties!"

Ignoring Pinkie's excited ranting, Tyr led his small family and all his friends into the castle. The inside was decorated in a modern style, with actual carpet once they were past the foyer. There were no pieces of furniture, however. It was quite bare. "It has a kitchen," Fluttershy said, moving over to a side door. "Or at least… where you'd put a kitchen."

"There are quite a few bedrooms, Master," Chrys called from up the stairs. "And these stairs go all the way up to the top floor."

"And bathrooms and the like," AJ said.

"It seems it's a castle in all but the interior," Celestia said with a chuckle. "I believe you'll have some jealous neighbors."

"I do not believe we have neighbors anymore," Luna murmured sadly. "The other houses nearby were destroyed it seems…"

"I hope everybody got out alright," Rarity said. "We haven't even seen the full extent of the damage yet."

"That isn't even taking into account what happened in the main part of town…"

"Don't worry," Tyr said. "The town has a tendency to band together at times like this. We'll pull through. All of us."

"Just like Ponyville," Fluttershy said.

Celestia smiled. "You have a very optimistic view, Tyr."

"Optimistic? I guess you could say that."

"It doesn't bother you that your grandfather's home got wrecked?" AJ asked.

Tyr thought for a moment. Sure, it bothered him that his grandfather's home had been destroyed, although his family was safe. They had a house to live in, minus any sort of comfort items or furniture. "…No. It was probably time anyway. Considering that boar didn't take too much out of the building before it collapsed, I'm just happy none of us got caught in it."

"I GOTTA GO PLAN!" Pinkie suddenly screamed, rushing out of the house.

"Pinkie! Oh, Pinkie-winkle!" Rarity chased after, calling Pinkie's name. "Oh, you hyperactive pink maniac, stop!"

"Some things still don't change, huh?" Tyr asked with a laugh.

* * *

 **Greetings, dear readers! It is I, Jehu Striate, Arbiter of Chaos, current head Librarian of the Sleeping Library. What a doozy of a chapter, huh? I'm still getting dust off my jacket! For the time being, I will be taking over footnote duties and possibly causing some mischief in the process. The next chapter in in the works (despairing the fact I'm not in it), and I hope you will be waiting with baited breath. Stay safe, safe content, and remember:  
**

 **The Library accepts all.**

 **Ciao!**


	23. Chapter 22: Her Royal Knights

**Another day, another Chapter. Thank you, my dear readers, for your continued support. Each comment you leave gives me another boost to keep writing. I hope you continue to read my work, just as much as you want me to continue. The Library is happy.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Her Royal Knights

It was probably the most impressive way to wake up, Tyr thought as he slowly stirred from his slumber. He was lying on a massive mattress, teleported in to the castle's largest bedroom courtesy of Celestia. Thanks to Twilight, they also had a number of blankets for warmth. However it wasn't that that made it so impressive. Tyr had woken up in between Luna and Chrys, both girls curled up beside him. Sherry was lying on top of him, quietly sleeping with her head atop his chest. Snow was wedged in between him and Chrys, finding probably the warmest place in the little formation. No doubt they were all tired from yesterday's events, so Tyr didn't move for a while. After watching his princess and Changeling sleep for a few minutes, he finally felt the need to move. As if she could tell, Chrys's eyes opened. "…Morning, Master," She said quietly. Smiling softly, Tyr gently moved his arm to stroke Chrys's hair.

"Morning, Chrys. How are you feeling?"

Chrys didn't answer right away, instead cuddling up next to him a little more. "…Loved."

Tyr couldn't help but smile. "Of course you're loved, Chrys."

"So say it to me."

"Say…?"

"Tell me that you love me."

Tyr chuckled softly. "I love you, Chrys."

The blush ran down Chrys's cheeks almost as soon as he said it. She pushed her face into his arms. "…I love… I love you too, Master."

"Isn't that cute." Luna was awake now, her cerulean eyes full of laughter.

"S-silence," Chrys said, still embarrassed. "I just wanted to know how it felt."

"Well, I do not dislike you for it. Tyr is a wonderful person, and we are truly blessed to be his family."

Chrys sat up quickly, surprise on her face. Sherry grumbled a bit at the covers being tossed off of her, and pulled them back over her. "You two… accept me as family?"

Tyr nodded. "To me, you're family, Chrys. You, Luna and Sherry are important to me. I would be destroyed if I lost any of you."

"You've proven that you worry about us just as much as we worry about you," Luna added. "I can honestly say that I value your presence."

Snow, woken up by his owner's movement, meowed cutely, climbing into Chrys's lap. "He must be hungry," Chrys murmured.

"I believe we're all hungry," Tyr said with a laugh, as Luna's stomach growled. The midnight princess blushed.

"So what shall we do for food?" Luna asked. "I don't believe we have any here…"

Tyr's phone beeped, signaling a text message. He picked it up and quickly read off the text. A look of surprise crossed his face. "Well then. That was unexpected."

"What is it?"

"We've been invited for breakfast down at Sweet Apple Acres."

Chrys raised an eyebrow. "Applejack and her family?"

Tyr nodded. "According to this text, all the others will be there too, minus Rainbow of course. She's in the hospital with a broken wing."

"Poor girl," Luna murmured. "Was she the only one injured?"

"Well, no. She was the most seriously injured, however. Everyone else got away with simple scratches and bruises."

"Well, now she can spend more time with her beloved fiancé," Chrys muttered.

Tyr chuckled. "Come on, let's just get ready to go. From what we saw last night, at least the bathrooms have showers."

-x-

"About time y'all showed up," Applejack said as the four of them arrived. Luckily for Tyr, his truck had been parked on the street and the house had not collapsed on it so they had a quick ride over to the farm. Applejack grinned as they got out of the car. "How're y'all doing?"

"We all slept together last night," Chrys murmured, more focused on keeping Snow in her hands. The little kitten wanted to go wandering off into the Apple home.

"Y'all… slept together?" AJ blinked. "Even Sherry?"

"We only had one mattress," Tyr said, realizing that Chrys hadn't really watched what she had said. "It was better than one of us sleeping on the floor."

"…oh. Oh! Right then."

"Such a dirty mind," Chrys said teasingly. Tyr frowned. He had been wrong; his Changeling had known exactly what she had said. AJ shot her a glare.

"Shut up."

"Let's just go inside," Tyr said with a chuckle. With a chorus of agreements, they entered the Apple home. It was quite lively inside, as Pinkie was busy retelling the story of how she, Applejack and Rarity had defeated the Rubrik bull. "And then, just when we had gotten rid of the bull, a big rock gorilla shows up!"

"Oh my," Fluttershy said softly. "That must have been scary."

"It was absolutely dreadful, darling," Rarity said. "It was absolutely the most dreadfully designed thing ever!"

"Well, we had to deal with an Elephant," Twilight said. "It's the reason Rainbow Dash got hurt so badly."

"I think we were just lucky Fluttershy scared it off with that Stare of hers," Flash said.

"Flutters used the stare on that varmint?" Applejack asked, sitting down beside the shy girl in question. Tyr and Luna took seats beside Celestia, while Chrys sat in a chair near the kitchen. Sherry went upstairs to go play with her friends.

"Yeah. It just turned around and ran off. I couldn't believe it."

"Well…" Twilight chuckled. "We've seen the Stare in action. It's not too surprising."

"Have you heard of how serious the damage was?" Tyr asked, looking to Celestia. The princess of the sun bit her lip before answering.

"The majority of the casualties were simply injuries, but there were several fatal wounds." She thought for a moment. "However, although there were a few human deaths, the majority were Equestrian. As far as I was told, the human police force focused on protecting the humans first."

"What kind of crap is that?" Applejack huffed. "They didn't even bother to help out the other half of the town?"

"According to the reports…"

"The prejudice the humans feel towards us is unwarranted," Luna said, frowning. "We have done nothing to deserve such treatment."

"Oh really?" Chrys frowned. "Then what do you call the little 'accident' you had when Tyr was hurt?"

Luna opened her mouth to reply, but closed her mouth instantly. She had gone a bit uncontrollable that night, and it still brought shivers down her spine when she remembered. And the voice that had spoken to her afterwards still haunted her dreams. "Accident?" Tyr asked.

The room fell silent. No one had told Tyr what had happened after he had lost consciousness. Chrysalis looked surprised. "No one… no one told you?"

"I'd like to know what happened." Tyr frowned.

More silence. Even Celestia didn't know what to say. "Well… Tyr…"

"Beloved…" Luna murmured, not sure if she wanted to tell him. However, her hesitation only served to frustrate him a little.

"Chrysalis," Tyr said suddenly, looking over at his Changeling. His tone made her sit up at attention. "Tell me what happened."

Chrys nodded quickly. "As you wish, Master."

Before anyone could say anything, Chrys had jumped into a detailed retelling of what had happened when Tyr had lost consciousness. Throughout the story, Luna grew more and more uncomfortable, keeping her eyes averted from her beloved. She tried her best to make herself seem small. It didn't take long before Chrys finished. The room was silent for a while, before Tyr spoke again. "…Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"We uh…" Applejack scratched at her neck. "We weren't sure if we wanted to tell ya, sugarcube…"

"We thought it wasn't our place to tell," Twilight said.

Tyr turned his gaze to Luna. "Moony… why didn't you tell me?"

"I…" Luna searched for words, but failed to find any. "I didn't want you to be afraid of me, beloved… That I would think I was some sort of… monster…"

Tyr sighed. "To most human beings, all of you guys are monsters," He said slowly. Everyone in the room gasped, Luna looking hurt.

"Tyr!" Celestia said, shocked.

"How could you—?" Rarity began, but Tyr held up a hand.

"I probably should change the way I lead off on that sort of thing," He said with a chuckle. "Before you all decide to blow up on me, listen. To most human beings, you guys are monsters, but that's only because you have stuff like wings and magic. And Pinkie."

"That's me!" Pinkie said with a giggle.

"But to me, you guys are just my friends. Not only that, but really my only friends. And Luna is the girl of my dreams. I'd never hate her. I was only upset because no one told me anything."

"So… You aren't upset with me?" Luna asked, a little worry in her voice. Tyr responded by gently resting his hand on her head.

"Of course not. Jeez, you weren't kidding about having no experience with relationships, huh?"

"S-stop teasing me!"

"Well, as far as I can remember, Lulu never fancied anyone," Celestia said thoughtfully. "I suppose she was… a virgin in more ways than one."

Luna's mouth fell open as she blushed heavily. "Tia! Why would you say such a thing!"

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"Wait, you mean to tell me Princess Luna _never_ dated anyone?" Rarity asked, shocked. "I would have thought suitors would be chomping at the bit for a chance at a Princess!"

"They were," Celestia said, chuckling. "But Lulu never gave them the time of day."

"I was not looking for anyone who simply wanted me for my position," Luna explained.

"You still could have had a date or two."

"I was not looking for 'sex-friends', dear sister."

"W-what!?"

"Oh my," Fluttershy had turned extremely red.

Flash chuckled. "Ace and Dash are going to be so mad they missed this…"

Celestia huffed, pouting cutely. "Now listen here, little sister. Just because I enjoyed the little escapes from our royal lives doesn't mean you can make fun of me for them. At least I actually bothered to go out."

"I went out!" Luna protested.

"Yes, to get books."

"I would always take strolls during the night."

"Yes, in people's dreams."

"Luna tried to come visit in Ponyville sometimes," Fluttershy offered.

"Well, Princess Celestia did come by a lot more often," Applejack countered.

"I could not help that!" Luna protested. "I always slept during the day. And at night, everyone was asleep!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough girls," Tyr said, pulling Luna into a one armed embrace. "Enough teasing."

"She started it!" Luna whined.

"Oh, stop being so adorable," Tyr kissed her cheek, finally getting a giggle out of his princess. Celestia simply smiled and shook her head.

"Food's on," Big Mac said, peeking his head into the room. That singular statement almost got the large man bowled over by half a dozen hungry people as they forced their way into the kitchen. Before long, the entirety of the crowd of people had managed to get food, and were happily eating and talking. As the only one not eating, Chrys contented herself with watching Snow fall over in the plate of milk they had gotten for him. She laughed softly and pulled him out. The little cat blinked and pawed at its face to get the milk off. As she kept one eye on Snow, Chrys spared a slight glance at her Master and Luna. Luna was staying close to her boyfriend, even more so than usual. Although she was avoiding bringing up her pregnancy… Oh well. She would rather not have strange dreams tonight.

Luna caught Chrys's look, and immediately knew what it was for. Celestia was also watching her intently, but Luna was pointedly avoiding her gaze. She didn't want Tia to point anything out or simply try to help her; for this is something she had to do alone. But when? That was the main issue… She shook her head ever so slightly and changed her focus to listen in on the conversation being had. Flash was saying something about the guard situation for her and Celestia, and Tyr seemed a bit confused. "So Luna is getting another guard?" He asked.

"I am?" Luna frowned.

"Sort of," Flash said. "Ace and I were considering getting another just for public appearances. Just the one."

"So what about more guards overall?" Twilight asked.

"We lost quite a few yesterday. So we have quite a few applicants to go through today."

"Today?"

"Ace is out of the hospital, although if Song and I didn't convince him otherwise, he would have tried to stay there."

Tyr chuckled. "I figured as much."

"On top of that…" Flash frowned. "I don't think you guys will be happy about this, but…"

"What is it, Darling?" Rarity asked.

"…Rainbow Dash wanted to join the Guard."

"What!?"

"Dashie did?" Fluttershy sounded horrified.

"Okay, now I _know_ she's trying to go too fast!" Twilight said, standing up. "First the engagement with Ace, and now she wants to put her life in danger?"

"Actually," Fluttershy murmured softly, "Dashie did say she was thinking about joining the guard before…"

"That true, sugar?" AJ asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think someone like Rainbow Dash could do well with… uh.. authority."

"Considering her fiancé is the captain of the guard, maybe that would change," Celestia said helpfully. "I myself do not see anything wrong with allowing the Element of Loyalty becoming one of my guards."

Twilight gaped. "But Princess…!"

"If she wishes to join, then let her," Luna said, frowning slightly. "If she cannot handle the pressure, she will give in. Do not deny her at least a chance."

"Well… I do suppose that's fair…" Rarity murmured.

"Aren't you the forceful one," Tyr said with a chuckle.

"Well, Luna was in charge of the Equestrian Military during times of war or the like," Celestia said.

"That's kinda surprising."

"Well, we hardly ever had to fight a war," Luna said, a little disappointed. "Although in essence, it was still good we were never pushed to that extreme."

"Hm… 'If you desire peace, prepare for war,'" Tyr quoted.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

"It's a quote, from someone I don't remember. It essentially means that if you want to ensure peace, you have to be willing and able to fight for it at a moment's notice."

"Well, that seems hypocritical," Rarity murmured.

"No, it makes perfect sense," Luna said thoughtfully. "If we are not prepared to defend our peace, then we do not deserve to have it. Tyr has a point."

"Then I suppose it is good we have people like Tyr and Flash to defend it for us," Rarity said. "I would so detest being in a war."

"You'd probably complain about getting dirty the whole time," Applejack said with a chuckle.

"Well, it would be a legitimate complaint!"

While Applejack and Rarity argued, Flash turned to Tyr. "So, Ace and I was going to run the new recruits through an improvised training session. Mind helping us out?"

Tyr shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

"I suppose that works out," Celestia said with a small smile. "I wanted to spend some time with my younger sister."

"Then that works out," Luna murmured. "Although I would like to see them train…"

"It won't be anything too exciting," Flash promised.

"…Very well then."

"Great! Finish up and we'll go meet Ace."

-x-

"I know this place," Tyr said as they approached the airsoft field. He, Flash and Chrys entered, noticing that there were few people loitering around like usual. Waiting for them at the front doors were Ace, Dash and Scootaloo.

"They let you out already?" Flash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorta," Dash told him. "Since it was only my wing that was broken, they let me out since I promised to not use it."

"And I wasn't about to be left alone in that hospital room," Scootaloo said defiantly.

"I guess I was wrong, you guys will make the perfect little family," Flash said with a roll of his eyes. "Let's head on in."

"I was kinda surprised to see you here," Dash said, glancing at Tyr. "You're not spending the day with Luna?"

"She's with Celestia. And I am a Royal Guard myself, you know." Tyr reminded her.

"Fair enough."

"We've got the whole place to ourselves today," Ace said, glancing back at them. "I managed to convince the guys in charge to provide us with gear and stuff too."

"I'm guessing you come by here often," Tyr said.

"Yeah, I do. I quite enjoy it."

"So how many are you guys expecting?"

"At least twenty."

Tyr glanced over at Chrys. His Changeling had not wanted to be too far from him, even deciding to leave Snow behind with Sherry. She was looking at the assorted airsoft guns aligned on the walls. "…Do you think any of them would recognize a Changeling on sight?"

Everyone paused for a moment. "You worried they might try and attack her?" Dash asked. It was obvious the worry in her tone, as even she still didn't completely trust the Changeling. However out of respect for Tyr, she wouldn't say anything.

Tyr nodded. "I'd rather prevent any problems before they arise."

"Good point," Ace said. "Only the ones who were in Canterlot would know."

"That's about half of them," Flash said.

"Chrys," Tyr called her name to get her attention. "As much as I prefer you in your normal look, do you mind?"

Chrys smiled softly before changing her appearance to that of a slender, black haired woman with gold eyes. "Will this suffice?"

"No blonde?"

"I thought you didn't like blondes?" She purred.

"Cute. Don't start getting hit on."

"Oh, never, Master." She giggled. "You know my heart only belongs to you."

They came out onto the field, Scootaloo coughing slightly as they kicked up a little dust. The airsoft field was made to look like an urban environment, with fabricated buildings making it reminiscent to a small city. Tyr found himself finding sightlines and drawing imaginary lines of fire even before they were even on the field. He was so preoccupied with his logistics that he almost missed the small crowd of people standing off to one side, milling about across from a table full of various airsoft weapons. As Ace and the group approached, they all turned. Tyr was mildly surprised to see exactly twenty people standing around. He was more surprised to see Heart Song in her wheelchair a short distance away. She was busy painting at an easel, but gave him a small smile in greeting once she saw him. Tyr nodded back. "Alright, applicants, at attention," Flash snapped, striding up in front of the group. The twenty Equestrian men and women formed up into two lines of ten.

"Aw, you messed up my painting," Beat muttered sadly.

"Hi," Chrys went over to the disabled girl. "I don't think we've met. I'm Crystal."

"Oh, hello. I'm Heart Song, Ace's sister. Most people call me Beat." Beat smiled. "Nice to meet you Crystal. How do you know Tyr?"

"He's…" Chrys glanced over at Tyr. "He's a close friend. He opened his home to me when I had nowhere to go."

"He does seem like a kind person."

"I was wondering… if you didn't have anything to paint, you could paint me."

"That's actually a good idea! We should move away from them so my brother and his best friend don't mess it up."

"Sorry sis," Ace said with a slight laugh. He turned back towards the group. "Seems we have a decent turn out, huh Flash?"

"I suppose you could say so," Flash said. "Depends on how many actually decide they can hack it."

"Don't forget about me," Dash said, joining the ranks. She grinned at Ace. "I told you I was serious."

"I didn't doubt it."

"I'd like to ask a question," One of the other applicants said, a tall, muscular man with short dark blue hair. He frowned over at Tyr. "Why is there a Human here?"

"Prejudice like that'll get you killed," Tyr pointed out flatly. The Equestrian scowled.

"Is that a threat?"

"A warning you should probably take," Flash said with a frown. "…Storm Driver, right? You're looking at the guy who took off a man's hand through a panicking crowd with one shot."

"That was you?" A surprised voice said. Tyr glanced over to find Saving Grace in the group, shock on her face. Tyr blinked a bit as he recognized the girl. "They said if it wasn't for you, Princess Celestia might have…"

"Well, it didn't," Flash said, cutting her off.

"So he's a good shot," Storm Driver scoffed. "Or just extremely lucky."

"I scored the highest marks in marksmanship back in the academy," Tyr said, frowning. "Given the average pistol, I could probably take your head off at about one hundred meters with a clean shot between the eyes."

"No one could make that kind of shot, especially an average human."

"I believe Mr. Tyr is far from average," Grace pointed out.

"Oh, sounds like someone is in love with the human."

"That's enough," Ace said softly, stepping forward. His normal joking demeanor was gone, and his red eyes were narrowed. All eyes went to him. "I would like to remind you all that Tyr is my friend, and an excellent fighter. I would appreciate it if you did not insult him by calling him 'human'."

Storm Driver frowned. "And why would I care what you would say?"

"Because I am the current captain of Celestia's Royal Guard," Ace said, straightening up. "Ace Guard, the Red-Eyed Hunter."

A murmur of recognition flowed through the group. Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Red-Eyed Hunter?"

"Hey, we don't pick our nicknames," Ace said with a slight smile. "Anyway. You all are here because you think you've got a shot at becoming the first line of defense for Celestia's people. Now don't get me wrong, I know that we're to protect the princesses. But protecting the people of Equestria is also a high priority."

"Our captain has a point," Flash said. "Yesterday we were shown to be severely lacking in our abilities to protect the people. We were hardly able to protect ourselves."

"We can't be blamed for that," Another person in the group said. "Those things came out of nowhere!"

"That changes nothing. We should be prepared for anything. That is why we're here."

Ace nodded. "I don't know how many of you have human weapon experience, but if we're going to protect ourselves and the princesses, we need to use them at least competently. We'll be having a mock skirmish using the entire field."

"We'll have a short run down on how to use the airsoft guns first. They aren't like real guns, so getting shot with one will probably do no more than hurt. But it will, in fact, hurt. A lot." Flash grinned.

"So how will we split the teams?" Grace asked.

"I will be leading one group," Ace said. "Tyr will be leading the other."

"The Human is going to be in charge?" Storm Driver scowled.

"I was trained in and have personally experienced urban combat," Tyr said. He was beginning to become very irritated at the audacity of this Storm Driver guy, and he could feel the faint tones of Chrys's irritation as well. He felt himself smile. If Storm Driver wasn't careful, he'd have a Changeling breathing down his neck in a few moments. "But if you want to test it…"

"What are you suggesting?"

"How about this. Half of you guys versus me."

"What?" The people around Storm Driver looked shocked. "You can't possibly be serious…"

"I am." Tyr walked over to the table full of airsoft guns and picked up one modeled like an MP5. "If you can get me, then I'll concede that you're better than me. If not…"

"Fine then. I'll accept this challenge of yours." Storm Driver grinned evilly. "Get ready to eat your words."

It took only a few minutes for Storm Driver to pick his teammates. The others field onto the raised platform that overlooked the whole field to watch. After getting all their gear situated, The eleven players were sent into the field, moving to opposite ends of the map. "Do you think he will win?" Grace murmured, to no one in particular.

"My Master is never one to back down from a challenge," Chrys said, coming over with Beat. "And he is more than a match for those idiots."

"…Master?" Beat asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Chrys blinked as she realized her slip up. "Ah… he is my mentor. I call him Master sometimes."

"Oh…"

"Remember the rules!" Flash called out. "One shot to the head: instant out. Two shots to anywhere else."

"Game on!" Ace called out with a wide grin. "Good hunting!"

A funny choice of words, Tyr thought to himself. He adjusted the strap on his submachine gun, staying low as he moved between a pair of buildings. There were mostly single storied buildings, but there was a larger two story in the middle of the field. "I'd love to be up there," He muttered to himself. He froze as he heard something shift nearby.

[Master]

Tyr frowned. [No helping me cheat, Chrys]

[But the only rules were for getting out] Chrys reminded him.

[No outside help, Chrys. That's still a bit much]

[Then how about using your own magic. Think about sending it out like a thin net, or like sonar]

[…Good idea. Thanks. You get to sit on my lap when we go home]

"What's up with her?" Ace asked, seeing Chrys suddenly squeal quietly.

"No idea," Flash murmured. "The girl is just weird."

Tyr felt his body tingle as he tapped into his magic. Doing as Chrys suggested, he focused it towards the ground like a pulse. It surged out like a wave, suddenly outlining everything around him in an imperceptible argent glow. As quickly as it happened, it faded. Although in that split second he was able to figure out he was surrounded by three members of Storm Driver's team. With a halfhearted flick to set his weapon on single shot, he slid down to a kneeling position. As soon as the head peeked around the corner, he pulled the trigger, shot pinging off the helmet of the man in front of him. Even as the Equestrian was calling out he was hit, Tyr spun around, firing another shot to take out the flanker coming up. He rose quickly as sprinted past the man he just shot, slipping into the shadow of a building as the third attacker came up to investigate. For his curiosity, he was rewarded with a pellet to the back of the head.

"So quick!" Grace murmured, shocked. Her shock was mirrored by the other applicants still on the platform.

"He caught them off guard," Another applicant said.

Below them, Tyr had stalked over to the knocked out attackers, relieving one of his pistol. "Thanks," He said softly, patting the man on the head.

"Whatever."

Tyr slipped away, casting his sonar spell again to check for more hostiles. Would have been extremely nice to have this sort of thing back when he was still on the force. No one would have ever snuck up on him. He took twisting turns throughout the field, eventually pausing when he heard voices. "He took out three so quickly," one voice said.

"He probably ambushed them," a second said.

"Yeah, but three?"

"They might have been in a group. He probably just sprayed at them."

Tyr pulled around the corner and pushed the barrel of his rifle into the back of one of the two attacker's neck. The pointed the pistol at the other's head. "Surrender," He said simply.

"…Oh, buck me." The two men set down their weapons and put up their hands.

"So, either of you want to tell me where Storm Driver is?"

"The two story building. He's in there with the others." One said.

"He thought five guys were enough to take you out," The other said.

"A mistake on his part." Tyr glanced over at saw one of the men had been carrying a shotgun. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. "You would have had better luck just swarming me."

"That's what _I_ told him."

Chuckling, Tyr left the two of them there and worked his way to the main building. He ducked inside one of the nearby fake houses and peered out. He could see one of the remaining applicants in a window, watching out for him. The others were more than likely hiding within the building. With the practiced motion of a trained sniper, Tyr raised his rifle up to his shoulder and let out a long breath. Holding himself as empty as possible, he settled the barrel of the gun in a window, sighting the man in the window. He stayed motionless for a moment, savoring the feeling of stability. The sights fell on the center of the target's head. He pulled the trigger.

Ping!

"Hit!"

Tyr surged from his hiding spot, letting his breath flow into him as he ran. Pellets sprayed back into the building he had just left, as Storm Driver and his remaining men tried to take him out. Too little too late, as Tyr got into the building with little trouble. He could hear faint shouting above him. "He's inside!"

"How in the name of Celestia did he manage that!?"

"Forget it! Get him! I am not going to let a human make a fool of me!"

Tyr slid into the depression of a doorway as footsteps echoed down the wooden steps. He waited just long enough for the head of the man approaching to come into view before putting a single shot in the side of his head. As the applicant cried out in surprise, he switched to the shotgun in a fluid motion, firing up the stairs and catching another twice in the chest. "Two left," He warned.

"Bastard!" Storm Driver spat down at him. A bit of airsoft fire pattered down the steps. Tyr thought for a moment, realizing they had the stairs well covered. Instead of running into certain doom, he moved back out the door and outside. The second floor had a window in it, just a bit too high for one person to reach. A slow smile crossed his face. Summoning his magic to him, he created a construct soldier beneath the window. With a mental command, the soldier put its hands together and boosted Tyr up to the next window.

"Well, how about that," Flash said, smiling.

"Sneaky bastard." Ace said with a grin.

Tyr dismissed the soldier as he quietly climbed in the window. He was in a small room, with a door that must lead to the room Storm Driver and his last man were hiding in. As he moved to the side of the door, he heard the man in question speak. "You gonna hide down there like a coward, huh?" Storm Driver chuckled. "Now that you can't sneak up on us, you're out of options, huh?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. Of course he was resorting to taunting. It was a clear indication that he was afraid. Despite having the numbers and the bravado, Storm Driver had only managed to get himself backed into a corner by a lone human. The same human who was about to end this game once and for all. With a last deep breath, he tossed open the door, spotting Storm Driver and his last man near the top of the stairs, peering down. The other applicant didn't have a chance to react as Tyr shot him in the ear. Storm Driver whirled, firing blindly. Tyr rolled aside, popping two shots into the big man with ease. It took another couple of seconds for the hits to register, until:

"…Hit," Storm Driver muttered angrily.

"Game set," Flash called out. "Tyr is the winner!"

Tyr lifted up his goggles and looked over at his defeated opponents. "Anything to say for yourselves?" He asked.

"So you beat us," Storm Driver said. "Big whoop."

They left the building, meeting up with Ace and the other applicants. "Good show out there, gentlemen," Ace said, clapping his hands. "Tyr won that pretty handily, don't you all think?"

There were a few halfhearted replies. "So what do you have to say about his skills now?" Flash asked Storm Driver, a smirk on his face.

"So he's good at stealth," Storm Driver said.

"And he's extremely accurate at all ranges," Grace pointed out.

"…yeah."

"So, now that we've had Tyr show you all up," Ace said with a grin. "Let's get back to the training at hand."

When the training concluded, everyone but Tyr, Ace, Flash and Dash were out of breath. "Lightweights," Dash said with a shake of her head.

"That was… intense," Grace said.

"That's going to be the usual fare," Flash pointed out. "If you join up, that's the kind of training you'll have to expect."

"Oh, I do hope you won't work them too hard," A gentle voice said. Everyone looked to find Celestia and Luna walking towards them. All of the Equestrians scrambled to bow except for Ace, Flash and Beat. Even Chrys, in her disguise, gave a small bow. "Oh please. You all don't have to bow."

"My sister is correct," Luna said. "Please, stand up, all of you."

Reluctantly, all of the applicants straightened up. Celestia came over to Ace and Flash. Her two guards smiled as they stood a bit straighter. "What's up, Princess?" Ace asked.

"I was wondering if you had made any progress on the thing I asked of you," Celestia asked.

"Ah yes, I believe we have…"

"Princess!" Storm Driver came forward. "I would like to ask a question."

Celestia seemed a little surprised. "Yes? What is it?"

"I would like to know why a _human_ is helping us train."

Ace and Flash both frowned and opened their mouths to respond, but it was Luna who spoke instead. Her eyes were narrowed as she addressed the man much taller than her. "I will not allow you to speak that way about Tyr," She said coldly.

"But…!"

"Tyr is not only the most heroic individual I know, but he has also saved the lives of not only my sister and I, but the Elements of Harmony and several others! You will treat him with the respect he deserves!"

There was silence. Storm Driver lowered his head. "…as you wish, Princess."

"Back to what we were talking about," Ace said, "We have two candidates."

Tyr frowned. "Candidates? For what?"

"For one of our new Royal Knights," Celestia said. "Who are the candidates?

Flash turned to the group. "Saving Grace and Storm Driver, step forward!"

The two addressed applicants came forward. Storm Driver looked proud to have been selected, while Grace seemed to be a bit more confused. They moved in front of the princesses. "So, you two wish to become members of the royal guard, hm?" Celestia asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Nothing would be better, milady," Storm Driver said.

"Well, I had recently asked my two knights to find a suitable replacement for our fallen. If chosen, you will be given the title of Knight and serve alongside Ace Guard and Flash Sentry."

"Serving you would be an honor, Princess!"

"Ah, I suppose so… Although, I believe I have forgotten to mention something."

Grace frowned. "Princess?"

"You will not be my personal knight. You will be serving my sister instead."

Both Storm Driver and Grace gaped. "Y-your sister?" Storm Driver said in confusion."

Celestia nodded. "Is that something you are against?"

"N-no, milady, it would be an honor to serve either of you."

"Then let us begin the last test," Luna said, stepping forward. "I must have an accurate picture of who would be my knight."

"Don't be too hard on them, Luna," Celestia said with a laugh.

"My first question is this. Why do you wish to become a knight?"

"I wish to gain honor in service to my Princesses," Storm Driver said proudly.

Grace stayed quiet for a long moment. When she spoke, she was more reserved that her counterpart. "I've always wanted to use my magic to heal, although I'm not as good as a lot of doctors. I didn't even consider the possibility of becoming a knight, to be honest. I was just hoping to be given a chance to help."

Luna nodded at both answers but didn't say anything to them. Instead, she pushed on with another question. "Where were you both during the events yesterday?"

"I was helping the wounded," Grace said, taking the opportunity to speak first. "I can't use my magic offensively that well, so I went to do what I can."

"I was…protecting people from the creatures," Storm Driver said after a moment.

"He's lying," Chrys said plainly. All eyes went over to the disguised Changeling, seated on a small box for Beat to paint. She smiled softly.

"How the hell would you know?" Storm Driver demanded.

"Crystal's magic lets her tell if a person is lying or not," Tyr said. "And I can tell B.S. from a mile away."

"You…!"

"Watch yourself, Storm Driver," Luna warned. "Unlike my sister, I am not as lenient when my patience is tested."

"…As you wish, Princess Luna."

"Now. My final question. If it came down to it, would you sacrifice the life of a comrade to save another? Or would you sacrifice an innocent in order to save a friend?"

"I would save the innocent," Storm Driver said, smiling as if he had given a correct answer.

Luna looked over at Grace. "Saving Grace. Your answer?"

Grace bit her lip. "That's a difficult answer to give, Princess. I could never willingly abandon a friend, much less someone I trust enough to have my back. But at the same time, our main reason to be guards is to protect those who cannot protect themselves." She paused for a moment, glancing at the face of the Midnight Princess. Luna's face was unreadable, staying stoic as Grace explained herself. "If I had to give an answer, I would say I would choose my friend. As much as it would pain me to abandon someone in need, I would forever feel the pain from leaving someone I knew and was close to behind."

"Now that is a truthful answer," Chrys said, nodding appreciatively.

"I was about to say the very same," Celestia said.

Luna nodded again. "I believe I have made my choice. Saving Grace. Do you wish to become a Lunar Knight?"

Storm Driver's mouth dropped open. Grace's eyes widened for a split second before she managed to stammer out, "It would be my honor, Princess!"

Luna smiled and nodded. "Well then. Approach. You too, Tyr."

Grace moved up to the Princess and knelt. Tyr approached as well, a confused look on his face as he knelt down beside the redhead. "What's going on?" Chrys asked.

"I can't really tell," Beat said, pausing her painting to watch what was happening.

"Saving Grace, Tyr Hymir, I have selected you two to become my guardians of the night, my Lunar Knights. You will serve me to the fullest, even unto death. Will you accept this charge?" Luna's magic surrounded them, shrouding them in darkness that isolated them from the rest of the group, leaving only the three of them inside.

"I will," Grace said.

"I would defy death itself," Tyr said. Luna had to force herself not to blush in front of the crowd. Tyr always complained about him

"Then rise, my knights. Serve me as faithfully as the moon itself rises at dusk. By the Night, we watch. In the darkness, we serve. And with the coming of dawn, we prepare for our next vigil." Luna's magic flowed forth, enveloping the two of them. Tyr could feel his skin prickle as Luna's magic inscribed a dark royal blue crescent into his skin, just above his heart. Now he had two of them, Tyr thought to himself.

"By the Night," Grace intoned.

"By the Night," Tyr repeated. The two of them rose, and Luna's magic receded. Almost immediately, Tyr felt a hand slap against his back.

"Congratulations bro!" Ace said, grinning like a fool. "Welcome to the fold!"

"How does it feel to be a Royal Knight?" Flash asked.

"The mark stings," Tyr said honestly, earning a laugh from his friends.

"I am sorry about that, beloved," Luna said, frowning a bit. "I wish I could have avoided that, but there is not much I can do in that regard."

"…Beloved?" Storm Driver blinked. "Wait… you and him…?"

"Yes, Tyr is my boyfriend." Luna smirked. "I did warn you not to speak badly about him, did I not?" Storm Driver's face switched to one of confusion to pure horror at the implications of what he had done came to him.

"The look on his face!" Ace said, breaking out into loud laughter. "It is too perfect!"

Celestia was chuckling as well, doing her best to hide it. "I do admit, the shock on your face was quite humorous."

"Well, before Ace dies of laughter, you're all dismissed," Flash said. "We'll be holding weekly training sessions, so be prepared for those!"

The group began to disperse, with the only one sticking around being Dash. The rainbow haired girl in question came over and threw her arms around her fiancé. "That was actually pretty rad," She said.

"You enjoyed it?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I put myself through some hard stuff in preparation to become a Wonderbolt," Dash said. "This was almost a tough."

"Well, we'll be having training every week," Flash said. "Don't slack off and miss it."

"No sir!"

"Well, that went rather well," Celestia said, smiling.

"Better than I expected," Ace admitted. "To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised none of them dropped out."

"They believe too much in their Princesses," Flash said. "They're willing to endure whatever they have to in order to serve."

"Is that a bad thing?" Luna asked.

"No. Patriotism is a good thing."

"Some people use patriotism like a weapon," Tyr said. He turned slightly and lifted an arm to the approaching Chrys, who slid into his embrace with a happy smile. Luna scowled at her for a moment, before the realization washed over her.

"Chrys!" She said.

Chrys giggled, her disguise falling away. "Right you are, Luna. Perceptive as usual."

"W-what?" Grace gaped. "How… what…?"

"I'm a Changeling," Chrys explained. "I can change my appearance at will."

"Oh my," Beat said, mildly surprised. "I thought all the Changelings died?"

"Not all of us, dear."

"Oh! You can help me with my paintings!" Beat clapped her hands together. "A single person who can take on any appearance… how amazing!"

"Well… I wasn't expecting that," Grace said. "A Changeling. Huh."

"Don't worry," Tyr said, rubbing Chrys's head. "She's domesticated."

"Meow!" Chrys purred. Tyr rolled his eyes as Grace shot Flash a questioning look.

"Get used to it," Flash told Grace. "They live together."

"Oh!" Ace said suddenly. "I just remembered something!"

"What is it, Ace?" Celestia asked.

"Flash and I were going to ask you about something." Ace frowned. "We were thinking about the fact that we have experienced two different situations where we did not have the tools to accomplish our tasks easily."

"Oh dear. Whenever you talk like this, I get a little worried."

"What? Oh never mind. We wanted to see if we could commission some swords."

"Swords? Oh, I do remember you saying something like that." Celestia thought for a moment. "My only question is where you would get them made, or purchase them."

"I know a metal smith," Tyr said. "I'm pretty sure they're open this time of day…"

"Then I see nothing wrong with it."

"So where is this metalsmith you know, Tyr?" Flash asked.

"I can take you by now, if you want."

"What about me, Master?" Chrys said, frowning.

"We can go home together," Luna said. "Tia, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. I'd like to spend more time with you, Chrys." Celestia smiled warmly. Tyr noticed Chrys hold him a little tighter before finally letting go.

"…Very well, Celestia."

"I'll take Beat and Scootaloo home," Dash said. "We'll be waiting for you, Ace."

"Wait up for me," Ace said with a smirk. After thinking about it for a moment, he knelt down to Scootaloo's level. "You get some sleep, squirt. I don't wanna find you awake too late, okay?"

Scootaloo frowned and stuck out her tongue at him. "Gosh, what are you, my dad?"

Ace pulled her into a hug. "Not yet, at least." As soon as he spoke the words, he, the girl in his arms, and the woman standing in front of him froze.

"…What?"

"Uh… I kinda just said that, huh." Ace let Scootaloo go, and scratched at the back of his neck. The silence was palpable, and no one knew what to say.

"I believe Ace Guard is tired," Chrys said suddenly. "He should be off on his errand so that he can get home to some rest."

"I agree with Crystal… er, Chrys," Beat said, coming to help her brother.

However, Scootaloo would not be denied. "You just said that you weren't my father _yet_. Do you… did you mean…?"

Suddenly, Luna was beside them, wing curling around the small girl as her magic came to life. "Sleep, my little one," She said. Her voice was soft and gentle, laden with the power of night. Scootaloo fell asleep almost immediately, falling back into the dark colored wing. Dash gently picked up the sleeping girl.

"She's more than likely going to wake up and bring it up again," Tyr warned.

"Maybe I'll be ready to talk about it then," Ace said darkly. "I'm not going to bring u something that might hurt her. I'm planning to avoid that like the plague."

"I don't think she's that against it," Chrys murmured, but the only person who heard her was Tyr.

"You're… worried, aren't you, big brother?" Beat asked.

"…Let's just go," Ace said, turning and walking away. "I'll deal with it later."

"…Okay, Ace."

"Let's go with them," Celestia said. "We'll let the boys here go get their blades."

Flash and Tyr followed their friend out. They were a bit outside of the building before Flash finally caught up to Ace and grabbed his shoulder. "What the hell, bro?" He demanded, a deep frown on his face. "Mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," Ace said coldly. He pulled away from Flash and went forward a couple steps. "Its… not that serious."

"My girlfriend just put Scootaloo to sleep so you could _run away_ ," Tyr said, frowning. "You running away is something I didn't expect to see."

"Even I get scared, alright!?" Ace snapped, turning around. "I've finally found two things in my life that I can actually love besides my sister, and I don't want to lose either of them!"

Flash and Tyr were stunned. This wasn't the usual Ace standing before them. Normally, Ace was confident, cocky, and yet at the same time still a good person to be around. But now, their close friend was distraught. He was obviously agonizing over this whole thing with Scootaloo, and he was also nervous about his relationship with Dash going to a whole new level. Everything was happening so fast. They stood in silence, none of them wanting to speak. After a long minute, Tyr finally spoke up. The words that came out of his mouth surprised even him.

"You're an idiot."

Flash and Ace looked at him in surprise. "What?" Flash frowned.

"He's an idiot," Tyr repeated, more conviction in his voice. "He's sitting here engaged to the Element of Loyalty herself and the kid who _idolizes_ her. He'd have to screw up royally to lose either of them."

"Scootaloo's parents abandoned her, Tyr," Ace snapped, facing him. "I doubt she's looking for a father, or anything even resembling—"

"Sherry lost her parents to the merge," Tyr said coldly. Ace's words died on his lips. "That little bundle of joy I'm proud to call my daughter had to _watch_ as her family was ripped from her. When I found her, she was nothing more than a crying, shivering wreck. Underneath al that bravado, Scootaloo wants someone to love her, to care about her, to just want her around." He walked up and got right in Ace's face. "And from what you already said, maybe you think you aren't even man enough to be there for her."

"I would fight to the death for that little girl," Ace growled back.

"Then what the hell do you think you should do, Ace?"

Ace made to reply, before catching himself and thinking. He started chuckling softly. "…You're right. You're absolutely right."

Tyr smiled. "Take it from a father. Sometimes a girl simply wants that father figure to be in their lives."

"Jeez," Flash said, rubbing his head. "All this talk about kids makes me want to try convincing Twi…"

"Good luck with that," Ace said, returning to his usual cherry self. He grinned. "I bet she freaks out."

"She wouldn't… maybe." Flash scowled. "Now that you're back to your usual self, can we just head over to this metalsmith's, okay?"

It didn't take long to reach the metalsmith, at least after they had all agreed on Ace riding with Tyr on the way over. Until he managed to get a new car or something, he would have to mooch off his friends. "This is the place, huh?" Ace asked, seeing the store. It was a decent sized building, although it was bland on the outside except for the large crimson hammer emblem on the sign. Etched into the metal sign was the name 'Vulcanis'.

"Yeah, this is it. Looks like they're still open." Tyr walked up to the front door, Flash joining them after he parked.

"This place smells like metal," He said, sniffing.

"I mean…" Ace chuckled.

"I know, I know."

They entered the shop, immediately feeling the slight heat that radiated from the back. "Well, fancy seeing you again, Tyr. I hope you're not here to collect on that favor."

Tyr chuckled at the sound of the voice. "Not yet, Vanna. In due time, however."

Vanna emerged from the back of the shop, dressed in a black ironworker's apron and a welding mask. Underneath, the metalsmith wore a simple pleated skirt and dark brown blouse that had the top two buttons undone, more than likely from the heat. Ace and Flash looked a bit surprised. "What? Expecting to see someone more burly?" Vanna had a decidedly Greek accent, lilting through the sentence as they approached the counter. It accented the elegant yet casual look of the metalworker.

"Well, not particularly," Ace said. In truth, Vanna was a lot more slender than he or Flash had expected. It was hard to believe someone so feminine could work metal as well as Tyr said. Especially someone that looked like they should be walking down a runway instead of shaping metal.

"Vanna here owns this place," Tyr said. "Made all the tools I use too."

"I've been working metal since I was young," Vanna said with a grin. "Might as well have tongs for hands at this point."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Vanna," Flash said. Vanna's blue eyes registered a bit of surprise before the metal worker broke out in a laugh.

"No need to be so formal. Just call me Vanna."

"Right then."

"So! What can I do to help you fine gentlemen out?"

"We were actually wondering if you were able to make say… swords." Ace posed the question a little nervously. Asking someone to make you a weapon was always a strange affair.

"Swords? Like, longswords or gladii or the like? That's like, children's stuff." Vanna grinned, leaning onto the counter. "Although… I haven't made something with a good edge for a while. How many you need?"

"Looking for somewhere around two dozen," Flash confirmed. "With at least four custom made."

Vanna's cheerful demeanor dropped a bit. "Well, that is a good bit, isn't it? Hm… I don't think I'd have enough material to make that many. Especially if you're asking for custom forges."

"How many can you make?"

"I can do twenty three with what I've got on hand, but I can always get more."

"Wait, why can't you just spread your material a bit thinner to make the last one?"

"I never sacrifice quality for quantity, even if it's just one," Vanna replied. "I have a reputation to uphold. Vulcanis made tools are of the highest quality, not matter what."

Flash nodded. "I can appreciate that."

"I'll order some more material so I can make the last blade, but it might take a few weeks."

"No rush, Vanna," Tyr said. "If anything, I'll be the one that goes without."

Vanna chuckled. "As if you'd let anything get that close."

"True enough."

"Alright, enough jokes. Down to business. These custom builds… how do you want them?"

Ace and Flash jumped into a lengthy discussion with Vanna about different kinds of weapons and how they would fare in different scenarios, from classic longswords to English rapiers to even curved scimitars from the Arabic lands. Eventually, Flash settled on a European longsword with a stylized violet star set in the pommel. Flash instead opted for a slightly shorter blade, one that fit his rapid fighting style. All three men worked together to design a weapon for Grace, and they eventually decided on a rapier with an elegant cup hilt. They decided a delicate weapon would be perfect for a medic. When they turned to Tyr, the man smiled softly. "Don't worry about me. I'm a sniper, so close range weapons are a bit out of my expertise. I'll do some research on it."

Vanna shrugged, brushing a lock of long reddish brown hair back out of the way. "Fair enough. I'll give you a call when I get my materials in."

"Alright. I'll see you around, Vanna."

"Dear Celestia, it's late," Ace said, glancing at his watch.

"We should be leaving," Flash said. "It has been pretty cool, Vanna.

Vanna grinned. "Don't be a stranger, all of you!"

They left the Vulcanis, leaving Vanna to get started on her work. Tyr noticed his friends hand some strange looks on their faces as they left. "…What is it?"

"You said you knew Vanna, right?" Ace asked, a smirk on his face. "Ex-girlfriend, perhaps?"

"Girlfriend…? No, no way. You must be crazy."

"Crazy?" Flash raised an eyebrow. "I'm in a committed relationship, and even I thought that girl was pretty hot… no pun intended."

"You can't tell me that she wasn't attractive," Ace said.

"Well, I can't say that," Tyr said. "But guys… Vanna is a guy."

Ace and Flash paused. "…What?"

"Uh huh. I've known Vanna for a long time now. He's been crossdressing forever."

"…Well. It's late, and my masculinity was just brought into question." Ace frowned. "Let's get out of here, Flash."

"Agreed." The two of them got into Flash's car and drove off. Tyr chuckled a bit at his friends before driving home. Poor guys. Everyone had the same reaction whenever they met Vanna for the first time.

* * *

 **Hello friends! It's me again! I doubt Mr. Top Note notices me down here, so I'm just gonna continue doing my thing.**

 **Unfortunately, this particular story does have two covers. But that just covers Light of the Moon. Tyr, Luna, and plenty others still have stories to tell, and those books will sleep until their covers are pulled back and they are woken up. I hope you stick with us that long.**

 **Stay safe, happy, and healthy. And Remember:**

 **The Library accepts all. (I'm beginning to like that as a catchphrase. :D)**

 **Au revoir!**


	24. Chapter 23: One for All

**Ah, another week, another chapter, and this one is one of the long ones. As it seems, I write quicker the longer the chapter is. Guess it's because of all the action. Hm. I didn't get any reviews this week, but i know you're all still out there reading. I added a short story to the Library, "Convergence" which details a little bit of the Merge and Tyr and Sherry's first meeting. Give it a read, if you please!**

* * *

Chapter 23: One for All

Another dream, a vivid one, greeted Tyr as he finally drifted off to sleep. He sat up in a wide and open grassy field on a starless night, wind gently ruffling the grass beneath him. "Well, this isn't so bad," He murmured, lying back. Was it possible to go to sleep in a dream?

A howl startled him, and he leapt up to his feet. Where there had been an empty field, there was now a massive pack of dark silver wolves surrounding him. Each of the closest wolves was crouched low, ready to pounce. This pleasant dream was rapidly becoming a nightmare. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, as the pack slowly closed in on him. He could see the wolves prepping themselves to pounce. But before they did, another howl cut through the air, and all the wolves dropped back a step. Slowly, Tyr turned to the source of the sound. A much larger wolf with bright argent fur was approaching, it's silver eyes focusing on him. In its mouth was a dark furred pony that Tyr immediately recognized. "L-Luna!?"

The massive wolf set Luna down in front of Tyr before backing up a few steps and sitting. Tyr went over to the pony and gently shook her shoulders. The motion woke her, and her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. "Tyr…? Why am I…" She jumped up to her feet… hooves, and looked around. "I should not be here. I did not intend to enter your dream!"

"I figured as much…"

"And I am a pony again?" Luna looked around at herself. Despite being an entirely different species, Tyr had to admit Luna was still quite beautiful. Her fur was the gentle color of night, the flowing motion of her mane and tail giving her an even more mystical look. The moon mark on her flank was set atop an inkblot shape, black like the deepest part of night. Tyr had to pointedly draw his eyes away. Luckily, Luna had not noticed his appreciative gaze. "What sort of dream is this…?"

"The Pack has demanded your presence here, Princess of the Night." A deep voice rumbled. They both turned to the large wolf, which was still seated on its haunches. "We know of you."

"And I know not of you," Luna replied, standing in front of Tyr. "Are you threatening us?"

The wolves nearby began to growl, but the massive wolf silenced them with a single look. "I would not have brought you here if I implied something along those lines. My business is with the human."

Tyr moved up beside Luna, his hand naturally moving to caress the top of her head. He made sure to avoid touching her horn, however. "I would like to know your name, wolf."

"Fenrir." The name sent chills down Tyr's spine like a cold wind through snowy mountains. He had read the stories about his namesake, the legendary Norse god of heroes and valor. The one story that came up the most was the story of Tyr and the great wolf Fenrir. And now, Tyr was standing before a creature claiming to be that ancient entity.

"…What do you want?"

"To test your resolve. How far are you willing to go for this creature, human?"

Without hesitation, Tyr raised his hand up, pointing his fist at the massive wolf. "Try me then, wolf." Fenrir's massive maw split open into what could only be seen as a smile.

Luna looked from her boyfriend to the wolf, confused. "Tyr… beloved, what is going on?"

She got her answer when the wolf lunged forward and bit off Tyr's hand.

-x-

Luna woke up in a cold sweat. The large bedroom was still dark, and the small clock nearby said it was a little past three in the morning. She quickly turned over to wake Tyr, only to find the man already awake and sitting up. "…Tyr…?"

"You know, I should be used to weird things happening to me by now," Tyr said with a soft shake of his head. He was looking down at his lap, and Luna felt her gaze travel down as well. In Tyr's lap was an elegant Norse styled longsword with a rounded guard and stylized wolf fangs along the pommel. The blade itself was bright silver, with darker edges. As Tyr felt the flat of the blade, it was if he could hear the howls of the wolf pack. "But giant wolves in my dreams? Just as weird as seeing you as a pony."

"You… you let it bite off your hand…"

"In the old Norse tales about Tyr, Fenrir was a massive wolf that caused even the gods to be afraid. In order to bind it, they told it that the new rope they had created would not hold it. Fenrir, sensing the deception, said it would only allow itself to be bound if one of the gods would put their hand in his mouth. Tyr was the one who accepted and when Fenrir could not escape, the wolf bit off his hand."

"So that first dream… I had been dreaming of raising the moon, and I saw you."

"…We both had that dream?"

"So it seems." Luna frowned. "Perhaps… we are more connected to one another than I thought. Your Cutie Mark symbolizing your protection of me, the fact that we fell in love with one another… This doesn't seem like coincidence."

"Well, fate is fickle," Tyr said, setting aside the blade. He glanced over to the other side of the bed where Chrys and Sherry were still sleeping. "The only thing that matters to me is keeping my family safe."

Luna smiled. She was constantly reminded of why she loved this man. A thought occurred to her then. "So… you've seen what I looked like as a pony. What… what did you think?"

"Well, I may be biased, but I still think you were beautiful. Plus, your fur was quite soft, kinda like you are now."

Luna blushed heavily, and kissed him. "Oh you. Let us go to sleep. And… Let me sleep in your arms."

"As you wish, Moony."

-x-

"Master. Master~ MASTER. Wake up!"

Tyr rubbed sleep from his eyes as his insistent Changeling shook him awake. "What, what is it?"

"There are a number of people outside." She frowned. "…Pinkie brought them. She is demanding entrance."

"…Hell. Knowing Pinkie, she won't stay outside for long—"

"HEEEEY!" As if summoned, the pink puff popped into the room, bouncing up and down excitedly. "You guys are still sleeping? It's almost noon! You should get up, up, up!"

"I don't wanna," Luna mumbled, tucking herself closer to Tyr.

"Come on, sleepy head princess! I got a really good surprise!"

Luna's eyes opened ever so slightly. "…Pinkie Pie. If this surprise is not worth it, I will give you a nightmare of a world without any cake."

The threat made Pinkie falter for just a moment before her smile returned. "Of course it will be! I Pinkie Pie Promise!"

"…Fine…" Luna slowly sat up, her hair falling in front of her face as she did so. Tyr reached over to brush the hair away.

"I always prefer seeing your face," He said with a smile. Luna blushed, and shook her head so her hair fell back in front of her face. "Aw."

"Stop playing around and come on," Pinkie whined.

"Alright, alright, let us put on some clothes first."

Pinkie managed to be patient long enough for Tyr and Luna to get dressed before pushing them bodily downstairs. Chrys followed along behind them. The sight that greeted them was almost impossible to believe, and both their jaws dropped. A number of muscular Equestrian men were lugging in large pieces of furniture and kitchen appliances, along with several boxes marked 'clothes' and 'kitchenware' in long flowing script. In the middle of all the movement stood Celestia and Rarity, the latter organizing where the furniture went while the former observed. At the sound of footsteps behind them, they both turned. "Ah, Tyr, Luna!" Celestia said in greeting. "I'm glad Pinkie Pie was able to wake you."

"What on earth…" Tyr muttered, looking around. "Where did all this stuff come from…?"

"I pulled some strings," Celestia said, sounding as if it wasn't that impressive. "I thought it remiss that I left you all living in an unfurnished home. So I asked my subjects if they would, and I quote, 'assist me in renovating my sister's new home'."

"And I was selected to help with the décor!" Rarity said proudly. "Your castle will be the pinnacle of inspiration, darling!"

"As long as you don't make it too… you," Tyr said dryly. Rarity had a good taste for what looked good, but sometimes that taste didn't match with his or Luna's.

Rarity looked offended. "Of course not, darling! I was working primarily with argent and royal blue, with moon motifs and shield designs along the walls. I've also got some tapestries to hang in the larger areas that have needlework of the same sort of designs. I was also going to do pink and soft browns for Sherry's room, and dark greens, whites and black for Chrys's. That appeals to you, does it not?"

"That… That does." Tyr scratched at his back. "Sorry Rarity, I kinda jumped to conclusions…"

"It's quite alright, darling. I go out of my way to fit my designs to my friend's tastes."

A sweet smell wafted out of the kitchen. "Ooh, Applejack and Fluttershy are done cooking!" Pinkie declared.

"We ain't finished yet," Applejack said, poking her head out of the kitchen. "Be patient."

"You guys better not be simply fooling around in there!" Pinkie pouted. "I'm hungry!"

"Please be patient," Fluttershy said softly. "Jackie and I will be done soon."

"…Okay! I got snacks anyway!" Pinkie began eating a muffin that she pulled from literally nowhere.

"Pinkie!" Rarity scolded. "You'll spoil your appetite!"

"Hell," Tyr said, "Is everyone here?"

"We just got here," Twilight said, entering. Flash followed behind, a couple of large boxes in his hands. Both were marked with the words 'Books'. "Brought you guys some old books from the library."

"We're here too!" A rainbow blur came in the door, almost knocking over Flash. Rainbow grinned apologetically at him as she stumbled forward the last few steps. "Oops. Sorry Flash."

"You're about as fast on foot as with wings," Ace said with a chuckle, coming in with Scootaloo. The girl had a grin on her face, but she immediately went over to Dash after coming in.

"That's my idol for ya!" She said, getting her hair playfully ruffled by Dash.

"We heard you were having a housewarming sort of thing going on," Twilight said as Flash set the boxes down. "So we decided to bring you some things to make it more… homey."

"Whoa…" Sherry gasped as she came downstairs. Her eyes widened. "There's… so much stuff…"

"We even managed to get a lot of clothes to replace your old wardrobes, darling," Rarity said proudly.

"Unfortunately, we could not get any game systems to replace the ones you lost," Celestia told them.

Sherry's face fell. "Oh… well, that sucks."

"We can always replace those in time," Tyr assured her with a wave of his hand. He paused a moment to look around at the furniture. It was well built, and a long living room table bore an apple shape stamped into it. "I'm… just stunned, honestly."

"Why?" Pinkie asked. "Aren't you happy?"

Tyr looked around to see his friends looking at him expectantly. Luna and Chrys were standing behind him, both quiet. He took a deep breath. "I am. Extremely. I was worried about how I was going to get this place worth living in, and how I was going to take care of my family. But I guess I have to let my extended family help out too, huh?"

Celestia smiled. "Working together is very important in Equestrian society."

"I've lived a lot of my life thinking the only people I could really count on being my sisters, and I was kind of the reliable one. Knowing I have you all to rely on makes my life a lot more… comfortable."

"You've done so much for us already, sugarcube," AJ said with a smile. "It's only natural for us ta want ta pay you back."

"I agree with Jackie," Fluttershy said softly. "You've been a wonderful friend to us all."

"Plus, you brought happiness to my sister's life," Celestia said, her smile growing. "That is something I have always wanted for her."

Tyr smiled widely. "Thanks you guys. This is probably the best birthday gift I could ever ask for."

Pinkie and Luna both perked up at that, but it was Pinkie who spoke. "Birthday? Wait! I never threw you a birthday party!"

Tyr chuckled. "I mean, it hasn't passed yet, technically."

"When is your birthday?" Luna asked carefully. Her moment was finally here, and it was probably the most natural moment ever. If she was lucky, his birthday would be within the month. Everyone watched in anticipation as Tyr chuckled softly and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"I was beginning to get the impression you all knew," The man said with a smile. "My birthday is today."

"Night preserve me," Luna whispered, horrified. Today? Why did it have to be today!? Her small prayer was completely drowned out by everyone else's expressions of surprise. Pinkie was by far the most vocal.

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Pinkie Pie demanded. "I would have had the biggest, most awesome party ever thrown!"

"I don't doubt that…"

"Wait!" Pinkie held up a hand. "I think I can salvage this. Yes… yes I can. I'm gonna need bubble wrap, cotton candy, and a giant spoon."

Rarity frowned. "Why on earth would you need those, Pinkie-winkle…?"

"I must go! This party needs me!" Pinkie flew out of the house, trailing confetti as she left. Everyone stared at the open door.

"…I will never understand her," Chrys pointed out.

Applejack chuckled. "Sugarcube, I don't think any of us understand Pinkie."

"Too true, Applejack darling," Rarity said with a sigh. "I love her to death, but sometimes I can't keep up with her."

"I think Pinkie is happier than ever now that she's with you," Fluttershy said. The shy girl smiled softly. "Although… I don't know how happy Pinkie is normally…"

Celestia chuckled softly and turned back to Tyr. "If you do not mind me asking… how old are you, Tyr?"

"Well, with today being my birthday and all, I'm officially thirty."

"Thirty?" Twilight seemed surprised.

"What, thought I was older?"

"No, not at all. Maybe it's because we were able to get along with you so quickly, I had assumed you were closer to our ages."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. As much as he wanted to ask how old all of them were, he knew enough common sense to not ask a woman her age. Most—if not all—were very sensitive about the topic. He decided to tiptoe around it, for his curiosity was piqued now. "So… am I really that much older?"

"You're almost seven years older than me," Fluttershy offered. "And I'm the oldest. Oh! Out of the six of us, I mean." She cast a worried glance over at Celestia. The Princess of the Sun laughed delicately.

"No offense taken, Fluttershy," She said kindly.

"Considering Celestia and Luna throw around thousands of years like they're nothing," Tyr said, "I'm not surprised."

"Who's the youngest?" Sherry asked.

"I think that would be me," Twilight said thoughtfully.

"Actually darling, you're a couple months older than Rainbow," Rarity pointed out. "That makes her the baby of the group."

"Don't call me a baby!" Dash protested, blushing.

"Oh, stop that. I was only stating fact."

"So I guess that makes Rarity and me the middle children of the family, huh?" Applejack said. "With Pinkie older than us."

"Huh," Tyr murmured. "I would have felt you guys were older than that."

"Suppose that would be their maturity you sense," Celestia said. "These girls have been through so much, and endured many hardships. I have watched them grow into fine young women."

"You sound like a mother," Tyr said. The comment made Celestia blush ever so slightly.

"I believe she takes the whole 'Mother to her people' thing seriously," Chrys pointed out.

"Well, she's been looking after us for as long as I can remember," AJ said with a shrug. "We've been relying on her for a long time."

"That doesn't mean we don't value having Princess Luna back," Twilight said hurriedly, looking over at the woman in question. Luna smiled weakly back at her, mind focused on another topic completely. With the revelation of Tyr's birthday being today, she had been left in a state of shock. She had been hoping for at least a week or something along those lines, but the decisive moment was upon her. She was starting to feel sick.

"I… forgot something upstairs," She said hurriedly, quickly turning and going upstairs.

"Moony?" Tyr murmured, watching his girlfriend leave.

"She's alright," Celestia said with a chuckle. "She always gets nervous."

"Nervous? Why would she be nervous?"

"Perhaps she was surprised about your birthday being today, Master," Chrys offered. "I for one feel a bit remiss in not getting you anything."

"That's actually an idea," Celestia said with a smile. "Everyone, why don't we go out and buy gifts for Tyr?"

"Wait," Tyr said, frowning. "All the stuff you've done for me already today…"

"That was all me," Celestia told him, cutting him off before he could continue his protest. "I believe everyone else was simply… being neighborly."

"I would like to get you something personal," Fluttershy said, blushing slightly.

"I agree with Shy," Applejack said. "Making breakfast for your birthday kinda don't sit right with me."

"All these books are old anyway," Twilight agreed.

"I wanna get you something too, daddy!" Sherry said.

"Okay, okay, that's fine," Tyr said, unable to refuse the crowd of women. "Jeez. All I can do is hope Pinkie doesn't overdo it now…"

"Darling, you know that is impossible," Rarity said with a slight laugh.

As the joke made everyone else in the room laugh, Luna came back downstairs. She had composed herself, and asked quietly, "Did I miss something entertaining?"

"Just Pinkie, as usual," Tyr said with a chuckle. "You okay, princess?"

"I'm fine beloved. What were you all talking about?"

"We were going to go out and buy Tyr some birthday gifts," Twilight said. "Would you like to come with us?"

Luna glanced over at Celestia, who had a small smile on her face. Her sister must have suggested it in order to buy her a little time to ready herself. She sighed mentally. Her big sister was always looking out for her. "…I would like to go. This is a celebration of my beloved's birth, and I would like to get him something."

"Then it's decided!" Rarity smiled. "We should go now so that we don't get back too late."

The others agreed, and all the girls left. The remaining three men stood in silence for a moment. "Well… what do you guys wanna do?" Ace asked.

Flash frowned, thinking for a moment. "…Hey Tyr, you know any gun stores around here?"

Tyr smirked. "Thinking about arming the guard?"

"It would be a good idea. Plus, Ace has been bugging me about it."

"I have not," Ace said with a frown. "I had only suggested it."

There was a knock at the door. Tyr went over and answered it, surprised to find Grace there. She was semi-casually dressed, with a high collared black blouse and a silver skirt accented with tall black boots and stockings. Her red hair was tied back with a large black bow. "Um… hello," She said, eyes widening at seeing Tyr. She seemed a bit caught off guard at seeing him.

"Grace," Tyr said, similarly shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I figured since I was a knight now, I should report to my Princess." She frowned. "Although it took me a while to figure out where she lived…"

"You couldn't find a castle this big?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"To my credit, I didn't even know she was living here! Or that Tyr lived here as well…?"

"It is kind of my house," Tyr told her with a chuckle.

"Really!?"

"Yeah. Luna moved in with me."

Grace blushed ever so slightly. "So you two… really are in a relationship?"

"Yes, we are."

"You're not developing a crush on our dear friend, are you?" Ace teased.

"No, I'm not!" Grace defended herself immediately. "If anything, I respect Tyr. And on top of that…"

Flash raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'm a bit scared of Princess Luna."

The three men paused at that. "Wait a second. You're afraid of Princess Luna? You agreed to being her knight pretty easily."

"Well… I don't want to do anything that would get me banished…" Grace looked down at her feet. "I mean, I'm not experienced when it comes to stuff like protecting someone…"

"Well!" Ace grinned. "You're in good company. We were actually about to go get some shooting practice in."

"Ever fired a gun?" Tyr asked. The red haired medic shook her head. "Well, you're going to today."

"O-okay."

"You're riding with Tyr," Flash said, he and Ace walking out through the door.

"Huh? But, I never spoke to the Princess…?"

"She's not here," Tyr said, lightly pushing her out of the door. "You actually just missed her."

"She left?" Grace sighed. "I knew I should have woken up earlier today… I hate being late."

"You sound like Twilight," Flash chuckled. "That girl hates being late."

"Better than being early," Ace said, with a wink at his partner. Flash stared at him for a long moment, unblinking.

"…You can walk."

"Forgive me. I couldn't resist."

"Are they always like that?" Grace asked as she and Tyr went over to his truck. Ace and Flash continued to banter as they got into Flash's smaller convertible.

"They might as well be brothers," Tyr said with a chuckle.

-x-

"So, have anything in mind, Chrys?" Celestia asked. She had taken the girls to the local mall, and while she, Luna and Chrys walked together, the other girls were split off and looking. Even Sherry and Scootaloo had gone off to look together.

"I don't know," Chrys said harshly. "I've never gotten a gift for anyone. Ever. I'm still understanding the concept of celebrating the day of someone's birth."

"Aren't you happy Tyr was born?"

"You know as well as I do that I would not be here without him, Celestia."

"No need to get all snippy," Celestia said with a pout.

"Perhaps you should find something that reminds him of you?" Luna suggested.

"And what would that be?" Chrys frowned. "Unlike you, I am not giving him children."

Luna opened her mouth to reply, but her anxiety hit her again and she shut it immediately. She looked away. "…Sorry."

Chrys blinked, sensing the shift in emotion. Without hesitating, she moved to apologize. "Luna, I… I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking."

"No, I'm fine. I just…" Luna gently touched her stomach. "I really want to tell him, but…"

"You do not have to rush," Celestia told her. "Take it one step at a time."

"Right."

"Until then…" Chrys murmured, looking around. She shyly fingered her collar, running her fingers along the buckle in front. "Help me find something for him?"

The two princesses laughed. "Very well. Let us help our dear Chrys find a gift for her Master."

As the three of them walked from store to store, Fluttershy and Applejack were in a different part of the mall, looking at one of the floor stands. "Jackie, look at this!" Fluttershy called, just loud enough for her girlfriend to hear. The farm-girl came walking over.

"What is it, Shy?" She asked.

"Look at this." Fluttershy pointed to a landscape painting hanging up at the stall. It depicted a forest with a castle in the distance behind it. It was beautifully painted. "Isn't it pretty?"

"I reckon it is mighty fine," Applejack agreed. "You thinking of getting it for Tyr?"

"Sort of… I had another idea as well."

"What was that?"

"Maybe Tyr would like a pet?" Fluttershy said quietly, smiling a little. "I found such a cute little puppy, and I just couldn't leave him. I was thinking of giving him to Tyr."

"I think he'd like that. The only one that has a pet in that house is Chrysalis anyway." AJ frowned. "Will that puppy be alright around a cat?"

"It's little enough that it won't hurt it. And since they're both small, they'll get used to each other quicker." She smiled. "I'd just have to make sure Tyr was okay with it…"

"I hope you're right," AJ murmured, just as someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to find herself standing in front of three men, group of two humans and one Equestrian. "…Can I help y'all?"

"We just wanted to talk to some cute girls," the lead guy, a dirty blonde, said. "And from what we could see, you two are the cutest around."

"That pink hair is pretty cute too," the other human guy said, looking over Fluttershy. The shy girl hid behind both her hair and her girlfriend. "And she's a shy one."

"We're kinda in the middle of something," AJ said bluntly.

The blonde grinned. "Oh? Mind if we hang with you girls then?"

"Please say no please say no please say no," Fluttershy squeaked into Applejack's ear.

"We're fine," AJ said, a little harder than she meant to. She really wanted these three to go away. Fluttershy was behind her, terrified, and she herself didn't want to be in this particular situation. "We were actually buying a birthday gift for a friend. His birthday party is today so were kinda in a rush."

"Must be a cool guy if he's got friends like you two." The blonde was pretty insistent, something that Applejack had to respect. But she was getting no closer to getting these guys to leave them alone.

"Yeah, he is. "Look, we need to be going, so if you mind…" She made to pull Fluttershy away, buy the guys blocked her.

"Come on, don't be in such a rush—"

"Oh, my, Applejack, Fluttershy!" A refined voice called over to them. As she looked over, Applejack couldn't recall a single time she had been happier to see Rarity. To her surprise, however, Pinkie Pie was with her girlfriend. "What are you two doing?"

"Rarity!" Fluttershy squeaked, relief flooding into her voice.

"Oh man, more cute girls," The third guy said as the fashionista and party planner joined AJ and Fluttershy.

"Hey!" Pinkie was immediately defensive, grabbing Rarity's hand. "No ogling my girlfriend!"

The three guys paused. "You two are… a couple?" The blonde asked, apparently attempting to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Yes, we are," Rarity said, glancing over at Pinkie. "And ogling? I've never heard you use that word, Pinkie-winkle."

"I heard it on TV!" The wide grin on Pinkie's face made Rarity chuckle ever so slightly.

"Well, Applejack, Fluttershy, we should be hurrying up. We have a party to get to, don't we?"

"Wait a moment," Fluttershy suddenly said. "Jackie, I wanted to buy the painting…"

Applejack had to smile at her. "Go ahead, Shy."

To everyone's surprise, Fluttershy leaned over to plant a soft kiss on AJ's cheek before going over to the stand owner. She quickly paid for the painting before rejoining her friends. "Okay. I'm ready to go."

Quickly leaving the three guys behind, the four girls hurried away. Ducking into a clothing store, they caught their breath. "Wow, that was amazing Fluttershy!" Pinkie said, a huge grin on her face. "I never thought you'd do something like that!"

"I was surprised too, darling," Rarity agreed. "That caught all of us off guard."

"Especially me," Applejack said with a laugh. Suddenly, Fluttershy dropped to her knees. "S-shy?"

"I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest!" Fluttershy whined, clutching at her shirt. The other three girls stared at her in shock before bursting into laughter. "I'm serious!"

Applejack put a comforting hand on Fluttershy's head. "I know, Shy. You did your best."

As AJ helped Fluttershy back up, Rarity turned to Pinkie. "Dear, I thought you were still getting the party ready?"

"I am!" Pinkie said. "I just came to get a hardhat!" She extracted a hard hat from her bag and slapped it onto her head. "Back to work!"

She was gone in a flash. "Why would she need a—?" Fluttershy began, but Applejack put a finger to her lips.

"Ah, I think it might be best ta just not think too hard about it, sugar," AJ advised.

"…You're probably right."

In another part of the mall, Twilight was rooting around through a bookstore, while Dash watched her. "Can't you think of another gift besides books, Egghead?" Dash asked, exasperated. Lounging around in a bookstore was the last thing she had wanted to do today.

"I'm actually not planning to get him a book," Twilight murmured.

"Then why are we here?"

"…Come over here."

Dash frowned and walked over to her friend. Twilight was at a bookshelf near the glass wall, overlooking the food court. Twilight pointed wordlessly, indicating a small group of men sitting around a table. "What's so special about them?"

"Look at what they're wearing."

"Look Twi, I'm not into men's fashion and whatnot like Rarity, but—"

"Rainbow, just do it!" Twilight hissed.

The seriousness in the librarian's voice caught Dash off guard. "…Fine." She looked again, and noticed a similarity between the four men. They were all wearing black leather jackets, and each had a backpack. "…That doesn't look good."

"So now you know why I'm here," Twilight said. "I wanted to watch them—

A single gunshot rang out, and suddenly the mall was frozen in time. The four men the two girls were watching pulled submachine guns out of their backpacks and fired into the air, forcing everyone in the food court to drop to the ground. "Buck!" Dash hissed, instinctively falling to a crouch. She pulled Twilight away from the window.

"Dash, what…?"

"Stay away from the window!" She snapped, pulling her friend behind a bookshelf. As the first shots had gone out, she had seen several more men entering the mall, all armed. This wasn't just some random shooting, it was a deliberate, planned attack.

"Why is this happening now?" Twilight asked herself, confused. "Why is this happening at all!?"

"No idea, Twilight. But I need you to text your boyfriend."

"What? Can't you call Ace or something?"

"I would but…" She chuckled nervously. "My phone's dead. I was playing games on it earlier."

Twilight face-palmed. "Of course…"

-x-

The sound of gunshots echoed down the range, ripping holes into the paper targets. After firing every round in her weapon in controlled three shot bursts, Grace lowered it and let out a deep breath. Tyr glanced over at her target. There were holes all over the target, but the majority were in the center. He nodded appreciatively. "You're a pretty good shot."

"I was just doing what you told me," Grace said, pulling her headphones off. She smiled over at Tyr. "Keep it tight to my shoulder, and fire short bursts. I wasn't too accurate…"

"You're fine. The gun you were using is more useful at closer ranges anyway. The FAMAS is classified as a submachine gun."

A whistle alerted them to Ace coming over. "My, it seems you've got a decent partner, Tyr."

Grace smiled nervously. "I'm doing my best."

"You didn't practice with anything?" Ace directed this question at Tyr.

"I wasn't in here that long," Tyr said. He motioned to behind him. Grace and Ace looked behind him to find a long, dark grey rifle propped up on a table. It had a large scope attached to the top and an adjustable stock. "I needed to be on a longer range for that."

"Oh, what is that monster?" Ace breathed, moving over. Tyr and Grace followed as well, the latter remembering to put the safety on for her gun.

"It's a Barrett M98 Custom," Tyr said, a bit of pride in his voice. "I've been slowly making alterations to it to where it's probably a lot better than stock. I nicknamed it Harbinger."

"An ominous name," Grace murmured. "But fitting."

"Sniper rifles are serious business," Ace said with a small chuckle. "I'd hate to be the one that thing is looking at. You'd probably wouldn't even know."

Grace shivered. "That's a terrifying thought. Not even knowing what happened…"

Flash entered the shooting range, a frown on his face. "Why so grumpy?" Ace asked, grinning.

"We'll have to cut our fun short," Flash said shortly. "We have a serious problem."

"Oh, damn. That never sounds good," Ace said, smile vanishing.

Suddenly, Tyr felt his mark begin to burn, and a voice whisper urgently in his mind; [Master! Come quickly!] He spoke before he was really aware of what he was saying. "We need to hurry."

"What's going on?" Grace asked as the three men began packing up. "Why do we need to hurry?"

"Scarecrows at the mall," Flash said shortly. "They have hostages."

Ace sighed. "Of course they have hostages."

"We need to deal with the situation, quickly."

"But how? Are we going to get the rest of the Guard?" Grace voiced her concerns.

"We won't have time," Ace said. "We'd need to round them all up and get them armed. By then, someone might be hurt, or worse."

"Should we wait for the human police force?"

Ace's cell rang, and he answered it, walking off a short distance. After a short conversation, he came back over with a scowl on his face. "Well, I think someone's listening in to you, Grace," He said dryly.

"H-huh?"

"That was the police chief. He says that since the only people apparently being held hostage are Equestrians, it's our problem to deal with. We'll get no help there."

"Damnation," Flash bit his lip. He hated being in situations like this. His girlfriend was in danger, and he was near helpless to go save her.

"Hey."

The soft voice caught their attention. The four Royal Knights turned to see the gun shop's owner, Gerald, standing in the doorway. He wasn't your typical gun enthusiast, more of a lanky individual, but smelled like gunpowder. Tyr frowned. "What is it, Gerald?"

"I overheard. I was wondering if you guys knew about that thing car dealerships do. Y'know, where you take a car for a test drive?"

The three men who had actually purchased vehicles began to understand. Grace, the proud owner of a bicycle, was still confused. "Huh? What are you talking about…?"

"Do your jobs and tell me how my merchandise works," Gerald waved his hands as he turned to leave, revealing a small stack of assorted clips of ammo arranged neatly on a counter.

"Will do. If they perform optimally then we'll be making some serious purchases," Ace promised. Gerald simply nodded and left the room. "I like that guy."

"Seconded," Flash said. "Alright, grab what you can. It'll just be the four of us."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Grace asked. "We don't even know how many there are…"

"I've got that under control," Tyr said. [Chrys?]

[As you wish, Master. I will have numbers for you in a moment.]

"I don't understand, but I'll trust you," Grace said, retrieving the weapon she had been firing. She moved over to the table to compare clips. "I don't have much of a choice…"

Her hands were trembling. Tyr knew it well; she was scared of the prospect of having to end another person's life. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. If your hands are trembling you won't remember what I taught you."

"R-right…" She looked up at him, worry in her eyes. "What if I—"

"Doubts make you hesitate," Flash said. The mood in the room had gone serious as the four of them armed themselves. "And hesitation gets you killed."

"A sad truth," Ace said, snapping a magazine of bullets into his favored P90.

"Do exactly as we say and you'll see tomorrow," Tyr told her.

"Yes sir," Grace replied, standing as straight as she could.

"Alright then!" Ace said cheerily, sliding the last of his spare magazines into a pocket of his jacket. "Let us go make war!"

"Any word?" Flash directed his question to Tyr, who looked like he was listening to something.

"Chrys says there are at least two dozen," Tyr said, packing his rifle into a carry bag. He had rolled it up into a soft mat, and slid it gently into the bag. "Also, the princesses are safe."

"That's good to hear," Flash said. "And the girls?"

Tyr stayed quiet for a moment. "Rarity, Fluttershy and AJ were taken hostage."

"Damn it. Well, at least they're unharmed."

"Let's go, people!" Ace said, leading the way out of the shop. "We've got work to do, and no time to waste doing it."

-x-

"I refuse to be treated in this manner!" Rarity complained as she was forcibly shoved into a seated position.

"Shut up!" the black garbed man snapped. "You don't get to complain."

"Why I never…!"

The man raised his gun, pointing directly at her. "We don't need a huge amount of hostages, so if you value that pretty mouth of yours, I suggest shutting up or I'll shoot it off!"

"Brute," Rarity snapped, but said no more. Another of the armed men moved behind her to bind her hands to the girl behind her, a slender Equestrian with light purple hair and tan skin.

"Who are you people?" The girl Rarity was bound to asked fearfully.

She was ignored, but one of the men, a tall man wearing a dark beret, raised his voice. "So-called Princesses of Equestria! Show yourselves! If you do, we will not harm your subjects. But know that the Scarecrows will not hesitate to execute these hostages! You have half an hour!"

"Scarecrows…?" Rarity murmured. She looked around, finding a number of other Equestrians similarly restrained, along with Applejack and Fluttershy a short distance away. Maybe if she used her magic, she could…

"Do not try anything," The girl behind her said softly. Rarity turned her neck slightly to look back at her.

"You…"

"My Master is on his way with the other Knights. He will be here soon."

"…Chrysalis?"

The girl smirked, a slight hint of green shooting through her eyes. She nodded slightly, but said no more. The Scarecrows were walking past, patrolling the small groups of hostages. Most of the restrained Equestrians were quietly panicking, while Applejack stared defiantly up at their attackers. Fluttershy was bound to her, and was sobbing quietly. They had been caught relatively quickly, but a few of their attackers bore bruises from where Applejack had fought back. Not too far off, Celestia and Luna were hidden in the back of a children's toy store, not too close and not too far. Luna was livid. "How can we sit here and do nothing!?" She hissed to her sister. Celestia was seated regally behind a shelf full of teddy bears, playing with a pink one in her lap.

"Hm? We have half an hour to wait for our Knights," Celestia said, unconcernedly.

"But they're threatening to kill them! We should just go out and—"

"Luna." Celestia shook her head. "Calm down and think about this for a moment. Yes, we could easily use our magic to fight those men. But what about those caught in the crossfire? Can we risk their lives by being reckless?"

"We…" Luna paused. She could see the reason behind her sister's words, and realized how eager she was to fight. She hadn't bothered to even consider the people that were being held hostage. Defeated, she sat down hard. "…You are right. I was not thinking."

"Believe me, sister, I would enjoy showing those men down there why we were feared back home. However, I will not do so if it endangers those we swore to protect."

"And if Tyr and the others do not arrive in time? What then?"

"We can find ways to stall," Celestia said. She smiled down at the teddy bear. "Isn't this adorable? Perhaps I should buy it as a first birthday gift for the babies."

Luna frowned, but realized her sister was trying to distract her. "…Wouldn't you need two? They are twins."

"Ooh, good point. Oh, but what if it's two girls? Or two boys? Or one of each?"

Luna, despite herself, giggled. "Maybe you should wait until we know for sure."

"Aw, that's no fun."

Luna had to cover her mouth to keep herself from being too loud. "Oh, Tia…"

The leader of the Scarecrows called out again. "Princesses! Do you not value the lives of your people!?"

"I think the Princesses don't even want to bother with you varmints," Applejack said with a snort. A nearby Scarecrow hit her in the side of her head with his rifle.

"Shut it, freak!"

"Jackie…!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Just leave it, Shy," Applejack said, spitting up blood. "They ain't worth the trouble."

"Hey, Boss!" One soldier snapped. "Why don't we use this one as the first?"

The Scarecrow boss smiled at that. "A good choice. We should weed out the defiant ones first." He glanced down at his watch. "Ten minutes left, Princesses!"

There was silence in reply. The boss scowled. There was no sound except for the sound of hushed whispers and the sound of boots on the floor. The ten minutes passed in silence. "That's ten minutes, Boss."

"Bring the blonde one over here. Frank, you can do this one."

"Hey, get your hands off me!" Applejack struggled as a pair of Scarecrows picked her up and dragged her forward. "You no good, lousy—

She didn't get to finish her sentence, as a rifle was slammed into her stomach, pushing what was left of the air in her lungs out. "Yeah, keep that up. Won't have to listen to your mouth for much longer."

They dragged her to the boss, a small smile crossing his face. He took hold of Applejack's hair and yanked her to him, while another walked over with his rifle and pressed it against the side of her head. "Jackie!" Fluttershy screamed, although it was no more louder than if she had said it simply. Rarity simply averted her eyes.

"Do we do something now, sister?" Luna asked, watching the scene. Celestia was quiet. This was not a decision she wanted to make, and Luna could tell. In a few seconds, either Celestia and Luna would strike and hope that no one would be harmed, or Applejack would lose her life. There was even the possibility that they wouldn't be quick enough…

"Be ready," Celestia said softly.

"Last chance, Celestia!" The Scarecrow let Applejack's hair go, only for the man pushing his gun into her head to grab it instead. "Come out now or this girl dies!"

"Don't worry none about me, Princess!" Applejack said.

"Applejack, you fool," Rarity bit her lip. "Why must you continue with all that bravado?"

Silence met the demands. The Scarecrow Boss scowled. "…Kill her then."

At that command, even Applejack seemed a bit nervous. The gun cocked, and she closed her eyes. "No!" Twilight whispered, horrified. She and Dash were still in the bookstore, overlooking the event. Dash was avoiding looking. Instead, she punched a bookshelf with enough force to break a hole in it.

"Damn it! Damn it!" She grunted. "Is there nothing we can do?"

A gunshot. Twilight gasped. "Dear Celestia…!"

"So is it over?"

"Dash, look!"

"I…" She turned around and glanced out, surprise on her face . "What in Celestia's name…?"

Applejack waited for the shot that didn't come. After a long moment, she opened her eyes and glanced up. The man poised to shoot her was unmoving. It wasn't until her eyes went up to his face that she noticed what was wrong. A large hole was right between his eyes. As she watched, the lifeless body fell forwards as if in slow motion, slapping to the floor with a dull thud. The shock on Applejack's face was mirrored by all those who stood around her. "What in tarnation…?"

Almost one block away, lying flat on a soft cloth mat and bracing his arms against the rooftop, Tyr yanked the bolt action of his rifle back to eject the spent shell. He settled back down, cheek resting against the warm metal as he looked through the scope again. His free hand marked a tally mark with chalk against the roofing. "That's one," He said, sighting another. As he followed his panicking target, he began to quietly whistle the Flight of the Valkyries.

"What the hell was that!?" One Scarecrow yelled.

"It's a sniper!" Another cried, moments before Tyr's second shot tore through him.

"Take cover!"

The Scarecrows dashed for cover, scattering and knocking over tables. As one ran into a nearby store, he was greeted by a pair of red eyes and a wide grin. "What's up, buddy?" Ace asked, pressing the barrel of his rifle in the man's chest. Before the man could tell him, Ace riddled him with holes.

Across the food court, Grace popped up from behind a counter and tucked her FAMAS into her shoulder, resting slightly on the counter. She opened up in controlled bursts, picking off two before being forced back into cover by return fire. The momentary distraction allowed Flash to dart in, firing his own P90 as he dashed around and into cover, wings propelling him around his targets. Ace also rushed in, using his superior speed to dash from cover to cover. The Scarecrows, disorganized and panicking, were being cut down. "Fight back!" The boss called. "It's just four of them!"

Another sniper round removed the back of another Scarecrow's head. "Time to act," Chrys hissed, pulling free of her bonds. Her hands shifted into claws, and she tore off Rarity's restraints. "Get the others away!"

Rarity didn't protest, instead rushing to the other hostages and beginning to free them. "Come now, hurry! We need to go!"

"Applejack!" Chrys yelled. "Move, now!"

Applejack recovered from her daze and went to Fluttershy, quickly releasing her girlfriend. Fluttershy hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, thank Celestia you're alright, Jackie! I was so worried…!"

"I know, sugar, but we need to get these people out of here!"

"Cover the hostages!" Flash yelled over at Grace. The red haired girl nodded, keeping her aim steady as she switched to firing on full auto, laying down suppressing fire. Suddenly, her gun clicked empty, and she moved to reload, just as a Scarecrow popped up in front of her. She panicked, dropping the magazine as the man dived over the counter at her. Before he could reach her, a sniper shot smashed into the side of his head, killing him. Grace stared at the body in shock, shivering beginning to set in. "GRACE!" Flashed yelled at her.

She shook free of her shock, and quickly reloaded, jumping back up to cover the fleeing hostages. She wasn't about to choke. Not now. Not here.

"He came! They all came!" Luna was almost ecstatic.

"Then we should help them, no?"

"Yes!" Luna and Celestia rushed out of the toy store, wings flaring open as they strode out.

"It's the princesses!" a voice called.

"The princesses and their knights are here to save us!"

A rainbow colored blur shot down into the fray, smashing a Scarecrow into the ground. Rainbow Dash grinned savagely. "Time for a beat down, buddy!"

A violet crackle of energy signaled Twilight teleporting down, joining the two other princesses. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I'm glad you're alright!"

"Of course we're alright, Twilight." Celestia smiled softly. "I'm glad you yourself are unharmed."

"We should not be standing around," Luna said sharply, letting her magic flow free. "We must protect the innocents!"

"Agreed, sister!"

With the magical intervention of the three princesses, the tide turned even further against the Scarecrows. Tyr's sniper rifle was reaping a brutal tally, up to seven men brought down, while the twin Pegasus knights wrought panic amongst the enemy. The Scarecrow Boss watched as one of his men was blasted off his feet by violet magic. Others were tossed aside by Luna and Celestia's magic. He turned to flee, but as he realized he wasn't going to get far, he found he had one more card to play. "Where do you think you are going?" Luna asked darkly, approaching him.

"Back off!" He warned.

"As if I would simply let you—" She froze as the Scarecrow turned around, a whimpering girl grasped in his arm.

"P-Princess Luna…" Sherry whispered, fear on her face.

"You would threaten a child!?" Luna was furious. As Princess of the Night and protector of the dream world, she had a specific hatred for people who threatened children. However, she couldn't act. The cowardly man had a gun pressed to the small girl's head.

"That bastard—!" Ace growled, weapon raised and aimed. Flash was beside him in a moment, hand pushing his aim down. "Flash, what…!?"

"Seems someone has good sense," the boss said.

"Ace, help…!" Sherry was obviously terrified. After everything that had happened in the past few minutes, the girl was probably near traumatized.

"What the hell, Flash!" Ace seethed.

"We're working together, right?" He smirked.

Ace felt a chill roll down his back. He grinned savagely. He looked over at the Scarecrow. "Hey buddy, you feel lucky?"

The Scarecrow boss frowned. "The hell are you talking about?"

Flash's grin was almost as dark as Ace's. "You pissed off Papa wolf."

The boss looked up just as a single bullet struck him just between the eyes. From his perch on the other building, Tyr smiled in triumph. "No one screws with my daughter," He murmured. "In fact, no one threatens anyone I care about."

Inside, the last few Scarecrows were being rounded up and were restrained. The injured were being treated by Grace, while the princesses and the two Solar Knights watched over the captives. Chrys was busy comforting Sherry. After a few minutes, Tyr came jogging in, gun bag slung over one shoulder. He slowed a bit as Sherry detached from Chrys to run to him, catching her as she leapt into his arms. "Daddy, I was scared!" She whispered, crying into his chest. Tyr let his bag fall to the ground so that he could properly embrace his distraught daughter.

"Don't worry sweetie. As long as I'm around, no one is going to hurt you." He squeezed her a little tight. "I promise you."

"That was an amazing shot," Ace said, walking over. He grinned. "Did you aim at me?"

"I glanced at you," Tyr said with a small smile. "I saw that shiver. You could tell."

"I always had a second sense for that sort of thing." He glanced around. "…Sherry. Where's Scootaloo?"

Sherry sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I… um… Last time I saw her, she was in the game store…"

Ace flew off, making a beeline for the aforementioned store. As he slid to a stop in the doorway, he caught sight of her almost instantly. She was cowering in a corner, hands clasped over her ears. As he came in, she looked up. "Is… Is it over?"

He didn't speak immediately, instead going over to her and wrapping his arms around her. "Oh geez… I'm glad you're safe, kid."

"You were… worried about me?"

"Of course I was!" He pulled her out to arms-length. "Besides my sister and Dash, you are the most important person to me."

Scootaloo looked up at him, eyes wide. "You… really mean that?"

Ace thought for a moment. "Hey, Scoots… I know your parents are gone and all, so I was wondering… Would you want to stay with me and Beat? I mean… I kinda did start calling myself your dad and all…"

"So…" Scootaloo thought for a moment. "Would that make Rainbow Dash my mom?"

"Well… yeah, I guess."

"Sold!" She jumped into his arms, hugging him around the neck.

"Hey, are you just in this for Dash?"

"No~"

"Yes, you are!" He growled playfully, as the girl in his arms giggled.

From a short distance away, Dash and Twilight watched the little scene. "You're not going to go join them?" Twilight asked.

"I think I can let him have his fun," Dash said with a playful smirk. "Besides, not like I won't be spending time with him later!"

"Speaking of which, you were kinda uneasy on your feet this morning…"

"Twilight…" Dash blushed slightly. "He just kind of came after me the other night. I dunno why."

"Odd… the same thing happened with me and Flash."

"Hey! What's going on, everybody!" Pinkie suddenly appeared, skipping in. "Did I miss something fun?"

There was silence. "I think I know now how you all felt when I showed up after the Changeling invasion," Luna said. Chrys stared at her in shock.

"…You… You were _absent_ for that!?" She said in surprise.

"I wouldn't call it fun, dear," Rarity pointed out.

"I wouldn't either," Grace murmured, healing the cut on the side of Applejack's head. "…There. How's that feel?"

"Better. Thanks, sugarcube." Applejack smiled.

"Thank goodness you weren't seriously hurt," Fluttershy said, embracing her girlfriend. "I don't know what I would have done…"

"It's alright Shy. We all got out of this in one piece."

"Well…" Grace glanced around at the dead Scarecrows. "At least on our side."

"With Tyr covering us, they didn't stand a chance," Flash said.

"Looks like a lot of stuff happened…" Pinkie murmured. She smacked her fist into her palm. "I know what we need right now!"

"I swear, if that girl says parties—" Flash began, but was cut off instantly.

"A PARTY!" Pinkie squealed, confetti falling like rain around her.

"—I'm just not even going to bother." Twilight rubbed her boyfriend's arm consolingly.

"Well, it actually is the best time for something to uplift our spirits," Celestia said with a chuckle. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Pinkie Pie, Flash."

"And what about these guys?" He motioned to the captured Scarecrows.

"Hm… take them to the human police. There's not much else we can do."

"…Very well. By your leave, Princess."

"We'll meet back up with everyone else at home," Tyr said. He let Sherry go and slung his rifle back onto his shoulder.

"Beloved…" Luna murmured. "I am so terribly sorry your birthday has turned out like this…"

"It's fine. I've had worse, honestly." He smiled softly. "As long as I'm protecting those I care about, I'm fine." He ruffled Sherry's hair and kissed her forehead.

"…Very well. We will meet you back home."

"Alright scrubs, let's go," Ace said, finally letting go of Scootaloo and coming over. He motioned with his weapon, prompting their captives to get up and star moving. "Come on, Grace."

"C-coming," Grace said, shouldering her own rifle and joining him. Flash and Tyr walked over as well, and the four Knights escorted the Scarecrows out. They walked in silence for a bit before Grace finally spoke up again.

"Isn't anyone going to say anything?"

"What's to say?" Ace asked, glancing back at her.

"Is no one going to ask me how I felt back there? Or if I'm okay?"

Flash simply raised an eyebrow. Tyr frowned. "I think we were all waiting on the adrenaline to wear off."

"Waiting for…" Before she could finish her sentence, her stomach churned suddenly, and she covered her mouth.

"There it is," Ace said with a chuckle.

"I'm going to be sick," Grace whimpered, holding her stomach.

-x-

It was evening by the time Tyr and the others arrived back at his home. The human police had begrudgingly accepted the prisoners and taken their statements of the events that occurred. Grace had spent the majority of their time there in the bathroom while the three men had explained everything. Despite being very upset that the four Knights had used lethal force, the police chief had no choice but to let them leave with nothing but a slight warning to not cause any public damage. Ace had jokingly responded that the police captain should have sent his men to help out. Along with a few other comments that got them kicked out. He was still laughing about it when they made it back to Tyr's home.

"The look on his face was priceless, you have to admit!" Ace laughed. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"I still can't believe you got the police to kick us out," Flash said darkly. "You realize the only reason they didn't lock us up was because of Tyr, right?"

"I guess having dated his daughter helped out in the long run," Tyr said with a shrug. "She dumped me for some delinquent."

"Can't imagine you being dumped," Ace said with a chuckle.

"She was crazy. I was kinda glad she left. Although I never found out what happened to her after she ran off…"

"Maybe it was for the best," Grace offered.

"Probably." Tyr looked up at his castle home. "Huh. I was expecting a much more… extravagant welcome. Looks the same as when we left."

"What were you expecting?" Flash asked. "A veritable shower of confetti or streamers or something?"

"Well, sort of." Tyr opened the door—

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" A chorus of voices assaulted his ears as a cascade of glitter and streamers fell from the sky. Tyr took the blast of color in stride, brushing them off his face. He was greeted by the sight of all his friends, crowded into the actually large living room. Amongst all the people coming forward to wish him a happy birthday, Pinkie bounced forward, a party hat somehow held in her hair and a wide grin on her face.

"Were you surprised? You were surprised, weren't you!?"

"Uh, Pinkie, you said you were going to throw me a birthday party this morning, right?" Tyr chuckled.

"Uh… well yeah, but…" Pinkie looked confused. Rarity came over and put her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Don't worry too much about it, dear. Let's just enjoy the party, okay?"

"Mm… okay."

"You all did not have much trouble, I hope?" Celestia came over to address her knights.

"Well, Ace got us kicked out," Flash said immediately.

"What?"

"Hey, that guy was insulting us!" Ace frowned. "Made it sound like it was our fault there are terrorists in town."

"In a strange, logically wrong way, it sort of is."

"Don't give that guy credit!"

While Ace and Flash started bickering again, Tyr went over to where his girlfriend and Changeling were sitting. Both smiled as he approached. "All's well that ends well, yes?" Chrys asked.

"I suppose you could say that." He looked around to see all the others enjoying all the festivities Pinkie had put together in such a short amount of time. Everyone seemed happy, a far cry from what had occurred only a couple hours ago. He smiled. "Although I think this is the first birthday in a while that I've had so many people celebrating with me."

"Almost like Christmas again," Chrys said.

"I was thinking the same thing," Luna said. She smiled up at Tyr. "I am truly glad to be celebrating this with you, beloved."

Tyr leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'm glad you're here too. You too, Chrys."

"I can feel that well enough," Chrys said with a small laugh. "You do not have to tell me."

"Dad, you're back!" Sherry came rushing down the stairs, her friends on her heels. She hugged him again.

"Happy birthday, Tyr!" The CMC said in unison. Tyr couldn't help but laugh at the adorable girls.

"Thanks you guys." He smiled.

"Are you gonna open your presents soon?" Sweetie Bell asked excitedly.

"Presents?" He glanced around, finding a large stack of gifts piled up along one wall. "How in the world did Pinkie get word to everyone in time for this…?"

"Pinkie Pie's a whole nother kind of magic," Applebloom said.

"Well, I won't argue with you there…"

"I myself am a bit eager to see what gifts you received," Chrys admitted.

"Then he should go and open them already!" Pinkie said, appearing. "Come on, come on, come on!"

"You just don't slow down, huh, Pinkie?" Tyr asked while the energetic girl pushed him over to the other side of the room. Her five friends and the princesses came over as well, trailed by the CMC and all the others. A bright pink box with a pink bow was showed into his hands.

"Open mine first!"

"Okay, okay…" He went to work on undoing the ribbon, taking it off in one long piece before slipping through the wrapping paper. Luna watched with undisguised interest.

"You did it so neatly…"

"Habit. Used to do it as a personal challenge." He pulled a small box out of the wrapping paper It was a box of gourmet chocolates. "Oh, chocolate. Looks really good."

"They are good!" Pinkie said, eating from a similar box. Tyr stared at her for a moment before chuckling. Applejack and her little sister came over.

"Howdy, sugarcube. Me and my family decided to give ya something pretty dear to our hearts."

"Ooh!" Pinkie bounced up and down. "Is it an apple pie? Or an apple crumble? Or maybe—!"

Rarity stuck her hand over Pinkie's mouth. She laughed slightly. "Sorry dear. Please do continue."

Applejack chuckled, too used to Pinkie's antics to react. "Right. Big Mac, you can bring it over!"

Everyone turned to see the big man lugging in a large barrel into the room. He set it down would a large thud. "Happy Birthday," He said softly.

"What is it?" Tyr asked, curious. He moved over to the barrel, looking all over it. He was beginning to wonder if it had any alcohol in it.

"Cider," Big Mac said simply. Ace, Scootaloo and Dash all perked up at that. They were over in an instant.

"Applejack's famous cider?" Dash asked, licking her lips. "I thought you guys wouldn't be able to make any more…!"

"Apples are apples, sugarcube, Equestrian or Human." Applejack chuckled. "Besides, we can get the same stuff for our recipe here just like back home."

"Oh Celestia, this stuff is delicious!" Ace said.

"I am well aware, Ace Guard," Celestia pointed out, lounging on a nearby couch. Ace seemed a bit confused at her comment, before realizing what he had said. He laughed nervously and scratched at his head.

"Is it really that good?" Tyr asked. He glanced over at Luna, who shook her head.

"I never was offered the opportunity to try some," She said sadly. "I tried coming during one season, but…"

"It was nighttime and they had already packed up the cider for the day," Celestia finished. "Lulu came back in tears."

"That's because you would stop teasing me about how good it tasted!" Luna frowned. "You even refused to share with me!"

Chrys raised an eyebrow. "So that is what it is like to have an older sister?"

"Sometimes, Tia is the worst!" Luna pouted.

Celestia simply giggled. "But pranking you is too much fun."

"That was almost as bad as when you told me that Equestria still used the Royal Canterlot Voice after I returned from my exile!"

Twilight blinked. "Wait, Princess Celestia told you that?"

Celestia giggled again. "Oops."

"Thanks, Applejack," Tyr said, turning to the farm girl as his girlfriend and her sister went back and forth. "I have a suggestion: Why don't we open it up and let everyone here have some?"

Applejack smiled. "Well, that's mighty nice of ya, Tyr! I reckon we could do that."

"Yes please!" Ace, Scootaloo and Dash said in unison.

While AJ and Big Mac got the barrel ready for service, Tyr was given the rest of his gifts. Rarity had made a long, black trench coat for him out of a special material she said was equivalent to Human Kevlar. Flash and Ace were immediately jealous. Fluttershy had given Tyr the painting, blushing heavily as he thanked her. Dash gave him a hat with a flaming rainbow on it, claiming 'it was the most awesome thing she could find'. Twilight gave him a magically charged stone that gave off a soft light at will. She said since he had a lot of new books to read, a light to read by would be useful. A lot of the other gifts were clothes or house warming gifts, and the CMC had given him a drawn picture of the four of them. After getting a deep v-neck from a giggling Lyra, Tyr glanced over at Chrys. She was standing nearby, looking down at a small box held in her hands. He could feel the nervousness coming off of her. "…Chrys? Something up?"

"…um…I…I wanted to give you this, Master…if you please," She murmured, handing over the box. Tyr looked it over. It was a plain box, with no sort of marking on it. Instead of thinking too hard on it, he decided to just open it. What he found inside made him pause.

"Chrys… this is…" He pulled out a silver and emerald charm in the shape of a butterfly, the inset gems glittering when exposed to the light. "You got this for me?"

"I wanted you to have something that reminded you of me," She said softly, looking embarrassed. "The gemstones are not real, but…"

She trailed off. Tyr pulled the girl close to him and hugged her, one hand coming up to rub her hair. "It's great. I really like it."

"…I'm glad."

"Cider's ready," Big Mac said gruffly. He had attached a small faucet like device to the front of the barrel, allowing the drink to be distributed. Before long, everyone in the room had a cup of bright, golden cider, and happily drinking away. With Chrys sitting in his lap cuddled up to him, Tyr took a sip of his own. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it was an amazing beverage, with a sweet, strong taste and a comforting feel that rolled down the tongue and ran down to his stomach. The stuff was borderline addictive. The look on Luna's face said that she was feeling the same. A languid smile crossed her face.

"This is indeed… wonderful," She said.

"I agree with you there."

"So was this the coolest birthday or what?" Dash asked with a grin.

"Well, seeing as I've been shot at, it could have been better. But ending it on a note like this…" Tyr smiled and nodded. "Probably the best birthday ever."

"What was your favorite gift?" Pinkie asked excitedly. "Come on, tell us!"

Laughing softly, Tyr flicked her in the nose. The party girl scrunched up her nose like a cat before shaking her head quickly. "Well, if you'd stop rushing me, maybe I'd be able to think about it."

"Actually, I have not given you a gift yet, beloved."

At the sound of her soft voice, Tyr glanced over at Luna. She was sitting beside him with her hands clasped in her lap. The rowdy crowd quieted at the sound of her voice. She looked like she was gathering her courage, so Chrys quietly got up out of her Master's lap. "Yes, Moony?"

"My gift isn't something I can give you right away," Luna began, speaking slowly. She had managed to get enough courage to come this far, but it took even more to continue. She took a sip of cider to help calm her nerves. It was warm now, but the sweet taste relaxed her a bit.

"Sounds like a strange gift, sugarcube," Applejack said with a slight frown. Fluttershy poked her arm and shook her head. She made a small motion to stay quiet.

"What do you mean?" Tyr asked, turning to her. Luna avoided his gaze. Looking at him now would break her resolve. "Moony…?"

"I have been trying very hard to get the courage to tell you, beloved. It… I has not been easy." She took a deep breath. "Tyr, I… I um…"

Tyr reached out and gently took one of her hands in his. "Luna. Whatever you want to tell me, I'll listen."

Luna took one deep ragged breath, and pulled his hand towards her, to rest on her stomach. Her mouth managed to form words as a look of confusion crossed her lover's face. "My beloved Tyr… we are going to be bringing new life into this world. I… I am pregnant with our children."

A silent gasp ran through the room. The members of the Elements of Harmony each gasped in shock. Even the normally stoic Big Mac was wide-eyed in surprise. Only Celestia and Chrys did not look too shocked. "…You're pregnant…?" Tyr muttered dumbly, almost as if he was trying to come to terms with it. Then a realization came to him. "…You said 'children'. As in… multiple."

Luna nodded. "It's twins."

"Twins…"

"Beloved? I would have told you sooner, but I was afraid…"

"Afraid of what? How I would react?"

Luna stared down at her lap. "…Yes."

Tyr stared at her for a long moment. Then he began to chuckle. Before long he broke out into a full-chested laugh. Luna and everyone else in the room stared at him in surprise. When Tyr's laughter finally receded, he looked down at his girlfriend with a mixture of love and playfulness. "Princess, you sure are good with your timing."

"…huh?"

"Chrys, do you mind?"

"At once, Master." The Changeling got up immediately, going over to Tyr's rifle bag. She opened it up, retrieved an object, and walked back over. Once back beside her master, she stood still as he slid out of his seat, went to one knee, and looked up at her with the biggest smile imaginable. He took the small velvet covered box from his waiting Changeling. Chrys backed away with a small smile of her own.

Luna was stunned. As the whole thing unfolded in front of her, she could only barely whisper; "No. No way. This cannot be possible…"

"Princess Luna, Princess of the Night, Guardian of Dreams, and Love of my life." Tyr said softly, but the silence in the room made it so he could be heard clearly. No one wanted to speak; to interrupt this moment. "You have stolen my heart, and let me fall in love. I am yours, just as I wish you to be mine. In all honesty… I wanted to ask this question at a better moment, but perhaps this is just right. Luna, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

The box opened, and a ring of pure silver like a single moonbeam lay nestled within the confines of the jewelry box. It had sapphires inlaid into the band itself, and a dark ruby sat in a clutch at its head. Luna felt the tears streaming down her face even as her body recovered from its shock. "Yes. A thousand times yes. I would need a thousand more voices to tell you how happy I would be to be your wife."

Tyr's smile grew ever wider as he, with trembling hands, slipped the ring onto Luna's small, delicate finger. The moment it was in place, the midnight princess flung her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his with a mixture of joy, embarrassment and passion all rolled up into one. Tyr embraced her back with the same fervor, lifting her up in his arms. When they finally broke the kiss, Tyr leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "I'm the happiest man alive."

"And I, the happiest woman." Luna smiled brightly.

"Oh goodness, that was simply marvelous!" Rarity said, tears in her own eyes. She dabbed delicately at her eyes. "Oh my, my make-up is going to run…"

"This is so adorable!" Fluttershy giggled.

Twilight glanced over at her teacher. Celestia was gently wiping her own eyes. "Princess… Are you crying?"

"Why would I not be?" Celestia smiled softly. "My little sister is happy."

"Oh!" Pinkie spoke up then. "So we have to change this party to a 'Happy Engagement Day party'!"

"Let's just enjoy the moment, sugarcube," Applejack suggested with a smile.

Pinkie looked over at the happy couple still locked in an embrace. Tyr and Luna were in the own little world, the latter still crying tears of joy, while the former simply watched her with the biggest smile on his face. "…Okay. I can throw a party some other time."

* * *

 **Huh. I don't remember doing foot notes for the last two chapters. Odd.**

 **My dear proofreader was threatening to kill me with each chapter i put off the confession. So I decided to throw her a curveball and add in the proposal as well. Nice to see my love in happy tears. :D**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and never be afraid to leave a review. I'll be doing my best to keep the chapters coming on time, so keep reading! And remember:**

 **The Library Accepts All.**

 **Do svidaniya!**


	25. Chapter 24: Calming the Masses

**GAH! I was late! Nooooooooo!**

 **...Oh well. For those of you cursing me for posting late, I apologize. Life comes out swinging sometimes. But heres the promised chapter!**

 **And to my dear Dragon, hey, romance isn't for everyone. But I really do love writing Tyr and Luna's relationships. I'll be sure to warn you when the sappy chapters are coming up. :D**

 **And to all my other commenters, thanks for your support! I have a lot of fun writing the intimate moments between my primary couple, and there will be many more to come. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 24: Calming the Masses

"Morning," Tyr said, as Luna's eyes opened. He smiled as she gently rubbed her eyes and pulled her hair out of her face.

"Good morning, my beloved." Luna smiled back, happy to once again wake up to his silver eyes. Almost without thinking about it, she reached out to gently caress his face. "…I am surprised. Waking up beside you has become almost natural, and yet… it feels even more special today."

"Probably before long, you'll be known as Luna Hymir." Tyr grinned.

Luna, despite herself, giggled softly. "I think I will quite enjoy that."

Tyr looked like he was thinking for a moment, rubbing his chin and looking at the ceiling. "So… marrying you… does that make me a prince?"

"You will always be my prince, no matter what," Luna said, leaning in to kiss him.

"As you will always be my princess."

"…I love you."

"I love you too, Luna."

They snuggled back together for a moment, before Luna sat up. "I just had a thought."

"What is it?"

"Chrys."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "She's…"

"Right here." Both Tyr and Luna were surprised to hear the familiar voice coming from deep under the covers. Tyr raised the blanket up to find another, naked Luna curled up over his legs. Words escaped him for a moment.

"…The hell?" He managed to say finally.

This second Luna sat up, brushing back her midnight black hair and frowning. Her green eyes flicked between the two of them. "…What?"

Tyr frowned. "…You know, I'm only marrying one Luna."

"Marrying…?" The Chrys looked down at her appearance, and paused in shock. "….oh. That's what you meant. I had thought I had undone this after last night."

"Last night…"

"I suppose none of us seem to remember Tyr's final gift."

The real Luna gasped loudly. "By the night… I remember you coming into the room last night and kissing me, and after that…"

Tyr gasped theatrically. "…No. You two didn't."

"B-beloved, I don't remember!"

Chrys-Luna smiled playfully. She rubbed her stomach, eyes focused on Tyr. "Maybe I'm pregnant now too?"

"Chrysalis!" Luna snapped.

Chrys changed back to normal appearance. She was giggling like mad. "I was only joking, Luna. Even if Master were to… grace me in such a way, I would only get pregnant if I so chose. And I would only do so if Master asked it of me." She glanced over at Tyr. "Unless Master wishes…?"

Tyr frowned. "No, Chrys."

Chrys smiled and nodded. "As you wish. I shall simply enjoy the aftermath of a _wonderful_ birthday party for my Master." She got up, retrieved her clothes from the floor near the door, and slipped out into the hallway. They could hear her giggling as she went back to her room.

"So… did we actually…?" Tyr looked to his new fiancé for clarification.

Luna looked grim. "I believe she talked me into it. And unfortunately… I believe we did."

"...Damn. I would have liked to remember that _before_ she had a chance to tease us about it."

"Well, at least we enjoyed it."

"…Are you using the royal we?"

The awkward question and the inevitable awkward answer was avoided by a sudden scream from upstairs. "DADDY! COME QUICK!"

"That was Sherry," Tyr said, surprised "What on earth…?"

"Whatever it is, it's urgent. Let us go see."

The two of them quickly got dressed and hurried down the long hall to where Chrys and Sherry were standing outside of one of the empty rooms. Well, formerly empty, as the newly engaged couple slid to a stop in front of the room. "Okay, now I'm really starting to believe Celestia managed to spike the punch last night," Tyr said, rubbing his eyes.

The formerly empty room was now plain white, and it seemed eerily quiet inside. Set along the walls were a quartet of flat screen TVs, and set in front of each of them was a gleaming silver PlayStation. Several very expensive looking couches were arranged in a semicircle in front of them. And last but not least, a mini fridge sat against the far wall. The four of them stared at the room for a long time. "This is… remarkable," Luna murmured, entering the room.

"How did this happen?" Chrys asked, in awe.

"I was wondering that same thing myself," Tyr said, glancing over at his daughter. Sherry was frowning, and staring down at her hands. "Sherry?"

"I had a dream last night…" The young girl shook her head. "It's not possible."

"Sherry, what is it?"

"I had a dream like this where we got a new game room," His daughter said. "It was a very vivid dream, and now… It's real."

"You saw it in a dream…?"

"Beloved, look!" Luna called out. "All your old games… they are here!"

Chrys frowned as she examined a CD shelf holder. "Indeed. Along with a few I do not believe you owned before."

"Well, whatever freak of reality caused this, I guess I have to thank it," Tyr said with a chuckle. He patted Sherry on the head. "Best not to question it too hard."

"I… I suppose you're right, dad." Sherry smiled up at her father.

"Before we go about getting acquainted with all of our…" Tyr shivered at the prospect of playing video games again. "…New equipment, let's go get something to eat first."

"Seconded," Luna giggled. "Although I am quite eager at his moment, I cannot neglect the needs of my body. Come everyone. Let's eat."

"Oh!" Sherry perked up. "Dad, c-can I make breakfast today?"

Tyr blinked, a little surprised by the sudden request from his daughter. His surprise quickly gave way to pride as he said, "Sure, sweetie. Go ahead."

"Yay!" She giggled and skipped downstairs. The others followed, moving into the smaller dining area. To their mild surprise, they found Celestia waiting for them with a nervous looking young man. She was delicately sipping at a cup of tea.

"Ah, Tyr, Lulu. Good to see you up."

"Should I change my locks…?" Tyr murmured slightly, he and Luna taking seats at the small dinner table. Sherry and Chrys went into the kitchen to begin working on breakfast. Celestia giggled softly.

"Oh, I'd just use my magic to get in again."

"So to what do we owe the pleasure?" Luna asked. She glanced over at the nervous man. "And who is this man you brought into our home?"

"This man is a messenger from the city council and the mayor," Celestia said. "Frank… er. Franz? Fritz? Er… Frankie?"

"Frederick, ma'am," the man managed to choke out.

"Ah! Fred then." Celestia smiled warmly.

Tyr narrowed his eyes. The man looked extremely uncomfortable seated at the table. While Celestia was quietly sipping at her tea, Luna and Tyr were staring at him. The Midnight Princess was looking at him with disinterest, while Tyr was viewing him as an unwanted house guest. "So, Fred. Why are you here?"

Fred swallowed hard. "I um… was sent to…"

"Spit it out already." Luna said flatly.

"The city was calling a meeting!" Fred stammered out. "They wanted you and your sister to be at the meeting!"

"Oh, I don't know…" Celestia looked outside. "It is such a beautiful day, is it not?"

"Three words," Luna said. "Magic. Game. Room."

"…What?"

"Explanation later. Need to eat, then game."

"Oh goodness." Celestia turned to the messenger. "As you can see, I do not believe my recluse of a sister wants to leave the house today. I for one do not want to spend such a beautiful day cooped up inside."

Luna scowled. "The night sky would be far more beautiful to walk under, sister. At least then you can look up and see the sky!"

"Oh, don't start this," Tyr said, petting Luna. She calmed down instantly.

"But… the council will be upset if you do not come!" Fred pleaded.

Tyr frowned. "I don't think that's the biggest incentive to go, Freddie."

"They wanted to speak on the events that happened the other day, and what they mean for the town as a whole."

Celestia set her tea down. "…Very well. If I must go to allay their fears and answer their questions, then I will go."

"…Damnable obligations," Luna murmured. "I suppose I must go as well."

"Breakfast is ready!" Sherry called out. She and Chrys came out with a few plates of good-smelling food. "I made some for you Princess Celestia. I um… hope you enjoy."

Celestia took a bite of her food. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Sherry, this is… this is quite good."

"Quite good?" Luna giggled. "It is amazing!"

Tyr pulled Sherry into a one armed hug. "That's my little gourmet chef you're talking about, Tia."

"Oh, a gourmet?" Celestia laughed softly. "Perhaps I should hire Sherry as my personal cook?"

There was silence. Tyr, Luna, Chrys and Celestia kept eating, while Chrys fiddled with her nails. Fred cleared his throat. "Um… the meeting?"

"What about it?" Luna asked, sticking a forkful of eggs into her mouth.

Celestia nodded slightly. "Yes, I see no reason to be in such a hurry."

More silence. Fred looked worried. "B-but… The meeting is in an hour…"

"…That's something you say at the beginning," Tyr said with a sigh.

-x-

The town hall was abuzz with activity. Over two hundred people were trying to talk at once, and a singular man was trying to calm things down and restore order. His efforts were in vain, however, as no one seemed to hear him. "Please, everyone, please, calm down…" Mayor Trent tried to bring order to the room. But the distressed an angry voices were numerous, and he was one man.

"What are we going to do about these Equestrians?"

"They're the reason all these horrible things have happened to our town!"

"We can't put all the blame on them. They helped against the rock creatures, didn't they?"

"That was just mutual survival. If they had had the opportunity, they would have left us to die!"

The arguments and discussions went on, until the front doors of town hall burst open. Celestia and Luna walked in, dressed in outfits reflecting their celestial representations. Celestia's slim golden dress flowed around her ankles as she led the way in. Luna's was more loose and flowy, giving her a mystical look. The four Royal Knights entered as well, Tyr and Grace dressed in black and silver while Ace and Flash wore white and gold. Silence fell as the two Equestrian Princesses entered. Celestia moved her eyes over the crowd, a gentle smile growing on her face. "I hope I didn't miss anything important."

"Lady Celestia," Trent said, relieved. "You've arrived."

"I apologize for our lateness," Luna said sharply, a reminder that she was indeed present. She walked up the middle aisle, Grace and Tyr following. About halfway toward the stage, a man stepped out from the crowd.

"You think you're so important you can have all of us people waiting? I have half a mind to—"

"I'd advise you to step back," Grace said, stepping between the man and Luna. As per her fellow Knight's request, she had left her hair out of any kind of tie and let it fall freely around her face. She took a moment to push it out of the way. "Please."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Not at all, sir. But my lady has a very protective Wolf…" She looked back towards Tyr, who had fixed the man with the darkest gaze. Almost like a wolf warning someone to stay out of their territory. Thus frightened, the man quickly sat down.

"Thank you, sir," Grace said with a smile.

Luna kept moving to the stage, Celestia finally joining her a moment later. The four knights took positions nearby. Tyr and Flash retrieved chair for their princesses to sit in. "So," Celestia said. "What is the issue at hand?"

"We want to know why all these attacks are happening!" A voice demanded.

"These attacks are happening because of _human_ prejudice," Luna pointed out. "In most of these cases, these instances have been dealt with."

"By our own knights, no less," Celestia added. "Actually, in the most recent case, there was no police assistance given."

"So you allow your guards to be armed?" A voice in the crowd

"We're allowed to be," Ace said. He frowned. "If it weren't for being armed, we wouldn't be able to even do our jobs."

"Then how do you explain the swords!?"

"Some things you can't just shoot," Tyr said with a shrug. Ace glanced over at him.

"…I'm still jealous you got a magic sword," Ace told him.

"And I told you, it's not magic."

"Boys," Celestia admonished softly. The two of them went silent. Celestia smiled and turned back to the crowd. "No, we are simply trying to give our guards the ability to do their jobs. To protect the people and they town we live in."

"You mean, protect the _Equestrians._ " A voice sneered. Several other voices added to the complaint, and soon the hall was in an uproar once more. Celestia frowned, but didn't say anything. She glanced over at Luna, mildly surprised to see her boiling with anger.

"They were the primary targets. Why wouldn't they protect their own?" another voice claimed.

"There were humans in the line of fire in the mall, weren't they?"

"Yes, but you didn't see anyone trying to protect them."

"ENOUGH!" Luna said, her magic amplifying her voice. She had surged to her feet, and the shock of the Royal Canterlot Voice had thrown off everyone. Luna lowered her voice, but it was obvious her anger was barely in check. "We have attempted to live in harmony with all of you. But so far, very few humans have given us the opportunity for cooperation. We pose you no threat, but you wish to imagine the worst of us at every turn. The only reason I do not wish the Merge had not happened is because it allowed me to meet the man of my life. _And_ my future husband, Tyr."

The room fell silent. A singular voice spoke up. "Tyr? As in the repairman, Tyr?"

Tyr stepped forward. "That's right. I asked Luna to marry me. And she said yes."

Silence. Celestia frowned. "…I was expecting public outcry, or some such. No? nothing? Oh bother."

"Tyr is well known in our community," Marilyn said, standing up in the crowd. "We can't exactly turn on him like that, can we?"

"We are doing our best to contain these… incidents," Celestia said. "Although considering we don't exactly have a lot of personnel to use."

"So what would you need of me, Lady Celestia?" Mayor Trent asked.

"Cooperation, and understanding from the civilians here." Celestia stood, moving to the front of the stage. "I ask you all to be patient with us. We would not willingly put you all in danger."

There was silence for a long minute. "I… suppose we can do that," A voice called out.

The other members of the crowd seemed to agree with that suggestion. Trent seemed very relieved at that. "Oh, thank you for your calming words, Lady Celestia," He said, nodding several times. Celestia simply smiled.

"Those of us in power do the best we can," Celestia said.

"Yes, yes, quite so."

"I suppose everything has been dealt with then?" Ace asked.

Celestia nodded. "It has. Unless we are needed for something else…?"

Trent nodded. "I was thinking to open the floor for questions, if you do not mind…"

Luna scowled. "This is cutting into my gaming time," She mumbled, just loud enough for Tyr to hear. Her fiancé laughed quietly to himself.

"Calm down, Moony. You'll have plenty of time later."

"…Very well."

Trent called for order once more, and informed the crowd that the princesses would be taking questions. Most questions were directed towards Celestia, although there were a few questions asked of Luna. An hour later, they were free, and the crowd dispersed. "Well, that was quite the Q and A session, was it not?" Celestia chuckled.

"My legs hurt," Flash said. The other three knights laughed at that.

"Can we go now?" Luna asked. "I really want to go play."

Tyr chuckled. "Of course, princess. We can go. Unless your sister needs anything else?" He directed the question at Celestia, who shook her head.

"No, go entertain my sister," the Princess of the Sun said with a small laugh.

Luna jumped to her feet. "Finally! Grace, you will be joining us."

Grace blinked. "Huh? But I've never…"

"Hey, spending time with your Princess helps promote…" Ace paused for a moment. "Huh. Well, playing games with friends is always good."

"Come along then," Luna said, walking briskly out of the town hall. Tyr and Grace followed along behind her. Grace had ridden with Tyr and Luna, so she climbed into the back seat of Tyr's truck. She had to fight a bit to keep her blush down as Tyr and Luna got in as well, pulling away from the town hall.

"I'm… um… honored you want me to join you," Grace said after a long minute.

"Well, Sherry is spending the day with her friends, so we needed a fourth anyway."

"A fourth?"

"That way, the teams are even."

"Chrys will be playing with us," Tyr said.

"Oh…"

"Does that bother you?" Luna asked, looking back at her.

"No, it's just… You really trust a Changeling? After what happened in Canterlot?"

"I was not present for the events that transpired that day," Luna said honestly. "I was only informed of what transpired after the fact."

"I suppose that makes sense then… why you don't have much of a prejudice against her."

"Grace," Tyr said softly, although his tone carried the hint of warning. He had grown very close to the Changeling, and whenever the prejudice against her was brought up he got a little defensive. "Chrys has done her best to be good, and she's been nothing but help to us."

"I'm not trying to say I don't like her," Grace said quickly, feeling as if she had struck a nerve. "I was just curious is all… Hey, look over there!"

Tyr looked where she pointed. A car was sat off the side of the road, hood popped up and a familiar wide back bent over in it. "That's Big Mac, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Luna said. "It looks like he needs help."

"I'll pull over." Tyr did so, coming to a stop a short distance away. The three of them piled out as Big Mac straightened up. "Yo! Mac!"

Big Mac turned at the sound of his name, wiping his brow. "Well, howdy Tyr," He said amiably, his usual small smile crossing his face.

"Car trouble?"

"Eeyup."

"This is not the usual vehicle you drive," Luna pointed out.

"It's mine," a female voice said. A small woman with long, curling rose colored hair came around from the side of the car, dusting off the bright pink dress she wore. She smiled. "Hello, Princess."

"Greetings, Miss Cheerilee," Luna said.

"You're Sherry's teacher," Tyr said, a bit surprised. He had heard her name before, when Sherry was talking about her days at school. Cheerilee tilted her head slightly, a frown crossing her heart-shaped face.

"You're Sherry's father? I don't believe we've met."

"Ah, right, sorry. My name is Tyr Hymir."

"Tyr is my fiancé," Luna said proudly. Cheerilee looked surprised, but a wide smile broke out a moment later.

"Well, congratulations, Princess Luna. From what I've heard from Sherry, Tyr is a very good person."

Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup."

"Mind if I take a look?" Tyr said, gesturing to the car. Big Mac nodded and stepped aside, making room for him to get to the engine.

"What happened?" Grace asked.

"We were going out to dinner, and the car stalled on us," Cheerilee said, frowning. Mac tried to fix it, but machinery like this isn't his forte."

"Nope," Big Mac agreed.

"Man of few words," Grace observed.

"Mac says enough," Cheerilee said with a small laugh. She glanced over at the two men. "Any luck?"

"The battery is dead," Tyr said, straightening up. "Grace, there's a set of wires in the back of the truck. Get them for me, please?"

"Yes sir," Grace said, moving to retrieve the cables. As she came back with them, Tyr popped open the hood of the truck. "What are you going to do with those?"

"I'm going to jump them," Tyr said, taking the cables from her. He was rewarded with several blank stares from the four Equestrians. He chuckled. "Heh… sometimes I forget how little you guys know of human technology. I'm going to connect the battery of my truck to Cheerilee's. When I rev the engine, it should give Cheerilee's car enough power to run and get rolling."

There was a collective 'Oh' from the women. Big Mac simply nodded his understanding. Tyr quickly connected the wires and jumped back behind the wheel of his vehicle. A few revs of the engine later, and Cheerilee's motor growled in response. The teacher clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, thank you so much, Tyr! You're a lifesaver!"

"I didn't do anything that amazing," Tyr replied, chuckling. He got back out of the truck and disconnected the wires, tossing them back into his vehicle.

"Thanks, Tyr," Big Mac said, in his soft yet gruff voice. He lowered the hood of Cheerilee's car.

"Like I said, no problem." He turned back to Cheerilee. "Just make sure to not leave the engine running idly for too long at a time."

"I will do just that," Cheerilee said.

"Now you two can get back to your date," Luna teased. Both Cheerilee and Big Mac blushed at that, looking away shyly. The princess and her two knights laughed a little at that.

"Thanks again for your help, Tyr," Cheerilee said as she and Big Mac got into her car. "Tell Sherry I said hello!"

They drove away, leaving Tyr and the two girls to get back into their own vehicle. IT was only a few more minutes before they reached Tyr's home. However, the scene that greeted them when they opened the front door made them all pause. Chrys was kneeling in front of the door, hands folded respectfully in her lap. She smiled softly as they stood in the doorway, staring down at her. "Welcome home, Master, Mistress."

"Mistress…?" Luna repeated, looking at Tyr. He shook his head, turning back to his Changeling.

"Chrys. What the hell…?" He trailed off. Chrys was looking at him expectantly, and he glanced down at her lap. "…You didn't."

"It was a last gift," Chrys said, her small smile growing. "You hadn't noticed it. I had nothing to do with it. I believe it was intended as a joke, Master. But as I see it…"

"What are you two talking about…?" Grace asked. She too froze as she saw the item in question.

"Master," Chrys said, lifting up the leash slightly. "I humbly request that you take me on a walk."

-x-

"So you're sure about this?" Dash asked for what seemed the umpteenth time. Ace chuckled, reaching over to pull her into a one armed hug.

"Sure I'm sure, Dashie. This is something I've wanted to do for a while now." He smiled.

Scootaloo blinked. "Really?"

"By Celestia, I want to get this over with. If only to get you two to stop asking me."

The trio stood outside of a nondescript building that looked relatively new. A small sign sat just to the left of the door: 'Equestrian Adoption Services'. Despite his assurances to the two girls with him, Ace was feeling a little nervous. He wasn't going to show that in front of them, however as he pushed the door open. The inside of the building was stark white, and a long counter sat in the middle, barring access to the rear rooms. A blonde woman was sitting there, and she looked up as they entered. "…Can I help you?"

"Yes, I believe you can." Ace strode directly up to the desk, leaning over onto it with one arm and dropping a folder on the flat surface. "I'd like to make an adoption."

"I see." The woman leaned forward to rifle through the folder. She was an Equestrian, Ace noticed, spotting her tail swishing slightly side to side. She paused slightly. "Mr. Ace Guard?"

"Yes?"

The girl looked up at him. "As in, the Royal Knight, Ace Guard? Oh dear Celestia, I've heard so much about you!"

"…Really?"

"Yes!" The girl nodded excitedly. She unfurled a pair of golden wings from her back. "I'm a Pegasus too. I'm a huge fan!"

"A fan, huh…" Ace grinned and rubbed at his hair. He'd never heard of having any fans. I guess when you're devoted to the job, you don't notice. "Well, nice to hear it."

Dash cleared her throat loudly, moving up beside Ace. The girl at the counter blinked. "Uh… um…"

"Rainbow Dash, Element of Harmony and his fiancé," She said shortly, smiling. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh! Um… oh, I'm sorry I just…"

"It's fine," Ace said, smiling. "So… about the whole adoption thing…?"

"Ah, right right, what's the name of the child you're adopting?"

"Scootaloo," Ace said, turning slightly to reveal the girl in question.

"Ah, I see. Well, follow me." The girl led Ace to one of the back rooms before returning a moment later. Dash and Scootaloo went and sat in a nearby chair. Scootaloo seemed a bit nervous.

"Something up, squirt?" Dash asked.

"What if… what if they tell him no?" Scootaloo asked

"Tell him no…? Now why would they do that?"

"I dunno, I'm just… worried."

"Hey. Ace would go to Princess Celestia herself if it meant he could be your dad."

"…mm."

"Scoots…" Dash put a hand on her head. "Ace and I love you dearly, kid. No matter what, we're going to be with you. Got that?"

"Okay." She ruffled Scootaloo's hair playfully, finally getting the younger girl to smile. The two of them sat in a more or less restrained silence. Almost ten minutes later, Ace returned, a solemn look on his face.

"So? How did it go?" Dash asked, rising as he approached. "What did they say?"

Ace kept his solemn look for only a moment longer before breaking out into a wide grin. "I am not the proud father of a Miss Scootaloo."

Scootaloo's eyes widened as she and Dash shared a long gasp. "R-really?" Scootaloo managed to choke out.

"Yep! So from now on, you have to call me dad—oof!" He managed to get out the majority of what he was saying before Scootaloo jumped into him, burying her face in his chest. She was crying, but it was obvious that they were tears of joy.

"Guess we should hurry up and get married then, so she can start calling me Mom," Dash joked.

"What, you want to beat Tyr and Luna?" Ace grinned. "Didn't realize this was a race, Dashie."

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile. Ace had taken to her rather feminine nickname eagerly, and every time she heard him say it a smile came to her face. She was so in love with this man, and each moment with him solidified her loyalty to him. And now the two of them would be becoming parents to Scootaloo. It wasn't a race, to be honest. She was simply eager to move their lives together to the next stage. She chuckled softly. "I mean, if it's a race to be happy first, I think they already won."

-x-

Rarity took a deep breath, savoring the smell of cakes and chocolate and other sweets. Despite spending a lot of time with Pinkie Pie, the seamstress hardly came to Sugarcube Corner to eat. Today was an exception, however, as she slid into a booth near the far wall. Pinkie was fielding a number of orders, moving around erratically as she cycled between taking orders and delivering them. She gave Rarity an apologetic smile as she moved to serve each person. Rarity simply smiled back. She knew what it was like to have an overabundance of orders to fill at once. She instead sat quietly, waiting until a young, familiar voice spoke up.

"Did you need something, Rarity?" Sherry asked, a small smile on her face.

"Oh, hello darling!" Rarity smiled. "Don't you just look adorable?"

Sherry was wearing a bright yellow apron with dandelions on it, and she had put her hair up into a bun tied with a silver bow. She blushed a little. "T-thank you."

"So you're helping Pinkie Pie again today?"

"The Cakes put her in charge of the store while they make a big delivery," Sherry told her. "She asked me to help out."

"So is my sister here?"

"They're in the kitchen," Sherry said, a little worried. "I know Applebloom can handle cooking, but Sweetie Bell…"

"I know my sister is not the best cook," Rarity said, a small chuckle escaping her mouth. She stood up. "…Do you have any extra aprons?"

"Huh?"

"I'd like to help out, if I may," Rarity said, smiling.

Sherry looked extremely surprised. "I…uh… sure! Just give me a second!" She turned and went back into the kitchen, Rarity following behind. Pinkie looked a little confused as she passed by, but Rarity simply smiled and went back into the kitchen. She was greeted by an almost comical sight. Applebloom was standing over Sweetie bell, a wooden spoon held in her hands while Rarity's little sister stood at the counter. Sweetie Bell was mixing ingredients in a bowl while reading off a recipe. As Rarity watched, Sweetie Bell moved to get a cup full of something, only to have Applebloom smack her hand with the spoon.

"Ow!"

"You don't need that yet," Applebloom snapped, frowning. "You reading ahead again?"

"No," Sweetie Bell muttered, rubbing the back of her hand. "That hurt, Applebloom."

"It was supposed ta."

"Come on guys," Sherry said with a sigh. "We can't fall behind! Pinkie is counting on us."

"Well, tell that to Sweetie," Applebloom said.

"I'll help her, darling," Rarity said, getting a plain white apron and putting it on. She shivered a little at the rough fabric of the apron. She would have to make the Cakes some much better ones some time.

"Thank you," Applebloom said, popping Sweetie Bell's hand once more as she tried to mix eggs into something that looked vaguely like cake batter.

"Ow!" Sweetie Bell hissed.

Rarity moved over beside her sister, quickly taking control of the mixture and getting it back to a normal color. Sweetie Bell stayed beside her sister, not asking to help, but simply watching. Her older sister was a bit surprised to not have her pestering her, but was content to simply let her watch. Applebloom, now released from her overseeing, moved to the other side of the kitchen to go on making other treats. Sherry was working at full steam, almost moving like a machine. However there was a bright smile on her face, as she eagerly made tray after tray of sweet deserts without pause. She was like Rarity when inspiration hit her, Rarity thought. That idea made her smile as well. She focused on what she was doing, making sure she didn't let down the young girls around her.

It was a couple hours later when the tide of customers began to slow enough for Pinkie to leave the front counter. She was all smiles as she embraced her girlfriend. "Rare-bear! I didn't expect you to just come in and start baking!"

"Well, I couldn't just leave you with no help, dear," Rarity said, wiping off her hands before hugging Pinkie back. "Besides, the girls looked like they needed help anyway. You know it's in my nature to help."

Pinkie giggled. "Yeah, you're right. To be honest, I was worried when I saw all those people start coming in. But you and Sherry and Applebloom and Sweetie Bell really helped me out."

"Always happy to help," Sherry said.

"By the by," She said, turning to the younger pink haired girl. Standing across from each other, Rarity could almost claim the two were sisters, with the only major difference being the wildness of Pinkie's hair. "You were making some of your original stuff back here, weren't you?"

"Um… yeah. I was kinda just going with the flow. Was that wrong?"

"No! They loved it!" Pinkie giggled. "You've got a really good taste when it comes to sweets, Sherry. You're a much better baker than me!"

"I wouldn't say that," Sherry said, smiling and blushing.

"No, you have a real talent for that, darling," Rarity said, agreeing with Pinkie. "I was simply following a recipe. You were _inventing_."

"Well… thank you," Sherry blushed a little harder, the attention and praise.

"Oh, by Celestia, if you keep acting like that we'll be calling you the Element of Humility," Rarity said with a chuckle.

"Can there be more Elements?" Applebloom asked suddenly. Pinkie and Rarity paused at that, neither completely sure. After giving the Elements back to the Tree of Harmony, the six Elements of Harmony had been granted the fabled Rainbow Magic in order to defeat Tirek, an ancient centaur who had tried to take over Equestria. Afterwards, the Elements had stayed within the tree, and the tree itself had gone dormant. According to Celestia, the powers the Elements carried still resided within them, but who could tell if the world they now lived in had Elements of its own?

"I… I am not sure, Applebloom," Rarity said, frowning.

"Princess Celestia says that there were only six Elements though," Sweetie Bell pointed out. "Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Magic."

"But there's a lot we don't know about the human world," Sherry said. "From what I've seen, anything is possible now that our magic has come over. Like this." She held up the cube she still wore around her neck.

"What is that thing anyway" Pinkie asked. "Is it a toy?"

"No. Mr. Jehu said it was an ancient relic. And as far as I can tell, it's not Equestrian."

"That means…" Rarity thought for a moment. "Darling, you're not suggesting that object is human…?"

"I am." Sherry nodded. "I mean, I don't have a whole lot of experience with magic, but even you can't deny it's not Unicorn made, Rarity."

"That… that is true. I for one wouldn't be caught dead making something so… woefully inelegant."

"So a human made it?" Pinkie frowned. "I thought humans didn't have magic?"

Sherry thought back to her meeting with Jehu and Mercy. They were human… right? Or anything, they were more than human. Jehu had fought creatures made of stone with his bare hands, and Mercy was part cat. Maybe there was magic that humans had but it wasn't so widespread like in Equestria…? "You seem deep in thought, darling," Rarity said, snapping Sherry from her train of thought.

"I just…" She sighed. "I wish I could talk to Mr. Jehu again…"

Her phone, on a nearby counter rang. "Is that your dad?" Pinkie asked. Sherry shook her head as she picked it up.

"I have a special ringtone for dad," She said, frowning. She pressed the answer button and held it up to her ear. "…Hello?" The voice that greeted her sent a shiver down her spine.

"I believe you needed to speak to me?" Jehu replied through the phone, the hint of a laugh in his voice.

-x-

It was quiet in the small home Celestia maintained, as it was usually. It was decorated with a number of objects that depicted the sun or other stages of daytime, along with a decently large photo of her and Luna together. The two princesses were smiling, Celestia's arm around her younger sister in a loving gesture. It was her favorite picture of the two, and she had it on display in the middle of her living room. She sipped delicately at her cup of tea, eyes wandering over her two guests. Both were obviously nervous, as this would be the first time anyone had been inside of her home besides Luna. "You two don't have to be so nervous," Celestia said with a chuckle.

"We're inside your house," Twilight said with a small cough.

"What's more, you _invited_ us," Flash agreed.

"I just wanted to talk to you both," Celestia said. She took another sip of tea. "Of note, what do you both think about the state of affairs in this town?"

"The town?" Flash frowned. "Well… this town is about as prone to problems as Ponyville was."

"I agree with Flash," Twilight said. "Although having you and Princess Luna around to help out has made things a little easier."

"Along with Tyr," Flash added.

"Ah yes, Tyr." Celestia nodded slightly. "He has been quite instrumental in resolving several of the more recent crises, hasn't he?"

"That he has. I admit, I had my doubts before…"

"But now that he has magic, it changes a lot," Twilight said. At that comment, Celestia set her cup of tea down. Both Twilight and Flash perked up at that, knowing that the Princess of the Sun was about to talk about something important.

"That is mainly what I wished to talk to you about," Celestia said, confirming their fears. "Tyr's magic."

"I agree," Twilight said, quickly nodding. "I thought it was impossible for humans to use magic?"

"At least magic as we understand it," Celestia pointed out. "To be perfectly frank, magic exists in this world."

Both Twilight and Flash started at that. "That's not possible!" They both said in unison. Celestia chuckled softly.

"Nice to see you both are so in tune," She said.

Twilight and Flash shared a look before both blushed a bit. "R-right…" Twilight murmured.

"Regardless, my point still stands. How else do we explain our mana regenerating? Or Tyr managing to gain magical powers simply through exposure to them?"

"Chrysalis said she mixed her DNA with his," Flash said thoughtfully. "So maybe he gained magic that way?"

"He would have gained her ability to change appearance then," Twilight said, shooting down that idea. "Not his own, unique kind of magic."

Celestia nodded. "We also have not seen any other humans gaining magic through exposure like that, and many have been healed by our doctors."

"…Point taken." Flash sighed.

Twilight turned to Celestia. "What do you think, Princess?"

"I believe there are things in play here that we do not truly understand," Celestia said. "Our magic has come into this world; that much is true. But what already existed here is beyond my knowledge."

"So then… what is Tyr then?" Flash asked. "If he isn't a normal human…"

"That much is unknown, Flash Sentry. But I do know this: whatever Tyr may be, he is wholly devoted to Luna and his family. He is our friend."

"I second that," Twilight said. "Honestly, I think I've spent the least amount of time with him, and I'm the Princess of Friendship. But he is kind, and a good person. I doubt Applejack, Fluttershy or even Rarity would have befriended him otherwise."

"Plus, he even gained Dash's approval," Flash added. "And she would never do that unless she trusted him."

"I'm glad you both think so highly of him," Celestia said, smiling. "I myself almost wish I had met him before Luna…"

"Princess," Flash admonished, with a small chuckle.

"What, I cannot wish for love myself?" Celestia laughed. "However, I will not deny my sister her love. I am simply happy she is happy."

"You've probably got plenty of time to find a guy to love, Princess Celestia."

"Actually…" Twilight said, thoughtfully. "That brings up something I wished to ask you about."

"Hm?" Celestia lifted up her cup of tea and took a tentative sip. It was a bit cold, so with no more than a thought she used her magic to heat it back up. She took a sip then, smiling at the refreshed taste. "What is it, Twilight?"

"You and Luna have not lost your immortality, have you?"

Celestia paused, cup just an inch away from her mouth. With a soft sigh, she lowered it. "As far as I know… we have not. We have lost our immunity to non-magical weapons, but we will not die of old age."

Flash and Twilight were quiet for a moment. Flash asked the question that Celestia knew was coming. "…Does Luna know?"

"I believe she at least fears it," Celestia replied. "At least… I believe she hopes the children she bears will inherit our immortality. So that she at least has them to remind her of her beloved."

"That's… so sad," Twilight said, looking down at her own cup of tea. "Is there anything we can do?"

"There are spells, but we do not have access to that sort of knowledge anymore," Celestia said sadly. "And regardless, I do not know if they would work."

"Because Tyr is a human," Flash said, answering the obvious question. "They may not work on him."

"Precisely. Therefore, I simply want Luna to enjoy what time she has with him. Even if Tyr were to know, I believe he would accept it."

"I suppose you're right."

"I do hope so. I love my sister dearly, and it would pain me to see her hurt."

"Well, that's something far in the future, hopefully," Flash murmured, sipping at his tea.

"Agreed. One final thing, Flash. Have you looked into the Scarecrow attacks?"

"Somewhat," Flash said, frowning. "All I've been able to find out is that they're starting to tone down their attacks outside of this area. It seems they want you dead in particular, Princess."

"Not too surprising," Celestia said. "I am the face of Equestria. If they want to make a statement, they have to do something to me."

"And now any sort of weapon would do the trick," Flash murmured. In Equestria, a normal weapon wouldn't have affected the princesses—their magic would have protected them. But in the human world… all bets were off. They were only marginally more difficult to kill than the average human. And that was only because they could use their magic to protect them.

"Luna and I have already talked about that. We are constantly using our magic to place a shield around us that would mimic our former immunity. But we have to maintain some level of focus for it to work."

"Well, Flash and the other guards will protect you, right?" Twilight asked.

"We'll do our best," Flash said honestly. "But even we aren't perfect."

There was silence in the room, with the only noise being the ticking of the clock on the wall. After a minute of this, Celestia spoke up. "So, moving on to a much lighter topic, how about you two? Is marriage in the future for you two?"

Both of them blushed. "Uh… we've… thought about it…" Twilight said, running her hands through her hair.

"Worried about Shining Armor agreeing to it?"

"Kinda," Flash said with a chuckle. "I know he's okay with us dating, but I dunno… he is a pretty protective brother."

"Yeah, and he's the one who got married without telling me first," Twilight muttered. Celestia and Flash rolled their eyes.

"Regardless, I believe Cadance would convince him to not be so hard on you."

"Let me guess—she's been bugging you about us."

"Well, she was pretty bummed about missing Tyr's proposal."

"I can imagine…"

"Well, in any case, you have my blessing."

Twilight and Flash seemed surprised at that. "Oh… thank you, Princess." Twilight smiled brightly. "That means a lot to me!"

"To me as well," Flash agreed.

Celestia smiled. The two sitting before her were as close to her as if they were her own kids. Twilight had been given into her care at a young age, and the Princess of the Sun had taught her as much as she could. Flash had been a guard since he was a teen, and Celestia had done her best at making a proper gentleman out of him, and even doing her best to get him to be friends with the formerly reclusive Ace Guard. Then when she heard the two of them were dating… she had been ecstatic. Although she kept her happiness to a regal level. "Well, I will not attempt to rush you. Do whatever you think will make you happy."

"Thank you, Princess!" They both said.

"Well, go on then. I'm sure you're both looking to spend your day not sitting here being teased by me."

"Well—"

"No buts. Just get going." Celestia smiled. She knew the two of them would make any excuse for her to not think she was delaying them. So like a mother bird gently nudging her chick out of the nest, she had to gently get them to leave.

"…Very well, Princess. I'll have a couple of the new guards keep watch outside."

"Of course."

Flash and Twilight left then, Celestia spotting her student slipping a hand into Flash's as they left. She smiled. They were cute together. As her new guards came and took up their posts, she returned to her cup of tea. Her mind drifted back to her sister and her new fiancé. They were happy, yes. But when the years began to roll by, would that love stay? Or would it be too much for Luna to bear, watching her beloved grow old and die? Well, these were dark thoughts. She chuckled and took a sip of her tea. She sighed.

"…Damn. Cold again."

-x-

"Are you done for the day, Jackie?" Fluttershy asked quietly as Applejack approached the front door of the farm house. The farm-girl was pretty sweaty after working a long hard day in the fields, yet sported a wide grin on her face. Probably from having Fluttershy waiting for her, like a house-wife waiting on her husband after a long day at work.

"Yeah, I reckon I've done all I need to do today."

The shy girl smiled. "Then, come inside, I made some lemonade for you."

"Why, that's mighty kind of ya, Shy." Applejack followed the pink haired girl inside, finding a platter with a pitcher of lemonade sitting on the counter. She took a seat on the old couch in the living room, toweling off her forehead. Fluttershy quickly poured a glass for her girlfriend and handed it to her. Applejack took a long drink, sighing as the refreshing beverage cooled her from the inside out. "Whoo wee! Now if that don't hit the spot!"

Fluttershy took a seat beside her, her smile growing. "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? If I had this sort of thing waiting on me every day, I'd be happier than a hummingbird in a field of flowers!"

Fluttershy giggled. She loved hearing Applejack's euphemisms and the comparisons she made. Most of all, she enjoyed listening to that country drawl. "Then maybe I'll be here waiting on you every day."

Applejack paused. "You mean that, Shy?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, I reckon I'd feel a bit privileged then, I suppose." She chuckled, brushing blonde hair out of her face. She smiled, imagining it. A pretty face like Fluttershy's wasn't such a bad thing to be the first thing you saw when you came home. Suddenly, she frowned. Fluttershy, seeing the sudden change in Applejack's face, went into panic mode.

"What's wrong, Jackie? Is something wrong with the lemonade? I can make a new pitcher if you want…!"

Applejack blinked, a bit caught off guard. After a moment, she began laughing. "By Celestia, you sure do panic easy, Shy"

"…huh?"

"I was just thinking about something, sugar."

Fluttershy's face turned into an expression of confusion. "Thinking about what?"

"I was… wondering if you'd like to get married one day." Applejack blushed heavily after saying it, a reaction that was mirrored by Fluttershy.

"M-m-married?" She sputtered, shocked. "You… you would want to…?"

"I was thinking about it. I mean, people are okay with us being together here, so maybe…"

Fluttershy stared at her in shock for a long moment, before sighing. She reached out to put her own hand over Applejack's, a smile growing on her face. "Jackie… I'd love that."

"You would?"

"I'm happy with you. You're a hard worker, and tough, but you're soft where it counts."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for that kinda girl, Shy."

"Huh…?" Fluttershy blinked a few times, before the tease set in and she blushed as red as the apples in the orchard. "J-Jackie!"

Applejack laughed, loud and full. "Sorry sugar, but you have ta admit, you walked right into it."

The shy girl pouted, turning her face away. "That was mean."

"Shy…"

"No. I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Aw, come on, Shy. I'm sorry."

"Uh huh."

Applejack leaned over and gently pushed Fluttershy's long hair away from her neck. She started to kiss the back of her neck. "I'm really sorry, sugar…"

"…Stop that."

"Not until you accept my apology."

"S-stop it! That tickles…"

"Nope."

Fluttershy giggled and finally turned to push away her affectionate girlfriend. "Okay, okay! I accept your apology."

"Good. Now sugar, give me some sugar!"

-x-

Sherry sat by herself in the far corner of the bakery, a frown on her face. She had plugged in a pair of headphones to her phone so that she didn't have to hold it to her ear. However, the information she was getting wasn't making her confusion go away. "So you can't tell me anymore about the cube?"

"Sorry love, but all I can do is tell you what I know. The cube is something even I don't know much about." Jehu's voice was apologetic.

"Right… so all you know is that it's a magic item that has picked me to do… whatever with it."

"Right. For better or worse, whatever happens with that cube is on your shoulders."

"…That's reassuring."

"Hey, you're a strong girl. The big man upstairs wouldn't have put this on you unless he was confident you could handle it."

"Big man upstairs?"

"It's a saying," Jehu told her with a chuckle. "Don't think too hard on it."

"Okay… so can you tell me what you think I should do?"

"Hm. I do have a little bit of advice for you, if you're willing to listen," Jehu said. "Whenever opportunity knocks, remember to always open the door."

"Huh?"

"It'll make sense in time."

Sherry's frown deepened. "You're really cryptic, you know that?"

"I'm trying hard to be," Jehu told her with a laugh. "I gotta give off that 'hidden knowledge' feel, ya know?"

Even Sherry found herself laughing at that. "So if I need to ask you anything, can I call you?"

"Sure! I don't mind, I'm usually just sitting around doing nothing anyway. And if I'm busy, you can always call Mercy."

"But I don't have her number…" She trailed off, scrolling through her contacts list. Under the M column was the name 'Mercy'. "…How did you do that?"

"Shenanigans, my dear Sherry. Shenanigans."

"I feel like you're breaking a rule somewhere."

"I break rules all the time. It's sort of my job description."

"And what exactly do you do?"

"I'm a dad."

Sherry's laugher grew. "You're really funny, Mr. Jehu."

"I do my best. Ah, I do believe I have to run."

"Oh? Have to go be a dad?" She teased, earning a laugh from the older man.

"No no, I have a visitor. I run a library, you see."

"Oh, cool! I love libraries!"

"I know," Jehu chuckled.

"Wait, you know?"

"…Ah, sorry, I was speaking to someone else."

Sherry didn't buy it, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Okay then…"

"I'd love for you to visit. We have plenty of books, sure to meet any preference you have."

"Sounds awesome."

"Well, it has been fun, Sherry. Be sure to call!"

"Kay!" She ended the call with a smile. Almost as soon as she had done so, she found Pinkie and Rarity standing over her. With them were two people she had never met before. Both were older men wearing suits. "…Can I help you?"

"Are you Sherry Spice?" One of the men asked.

"Yes… yes I am."

The other man nodded. "We've been sent to extend an invitation to you for an upcoming baking competition."

"Whoa, that sounds cool!" Pinkie said.

"There are going to be a lot of participants involved."

"So what would she get if she won?" Rarity asked. The first man pulled out a small sheet of paper.

"The top ten participants will have their recipe included in a compiled cookbook that would be included in a number of bookstores across the nation," The man read off.

"That sounds really cool!" Pinkie chimed in again.

"The winning participant will have their winning recipe added to the menus of the top restaurant chain in the nation and featured as a specialty dessert, along with five thousand dollars."

The girls sat in a shocked silence. "That… now that is, as my dear Pinkie says, cool," Rarity breathed.

"Beyond cool!" Applebloom and Sweetie Bell came over. Rarity's little sister was much more excited. "That would make Sherry, like, famous, right?"

"It would indeed," The second man said. "Her name would be known far and wide."

The first man turned back to Sherry. "Would you like to participate? It would be in the nearby city, and you would be staying there for a week."

"That's not even that far away," Applebloom claimed.

"And staying a week out of town sounds like fun too!" Sweetie Bell agreed.

"Opportunity only knocks once," The second man added.

"So, what is your answer?" The first man said. Sherry paused, the other man's words reminding her of what Jehu had just told her. With that realization, she turned back to the two men, determination on her face.

"I'd be honored to participate," Sherry told them.

* * *

 **Gotta love those endings, and all the answered questions spawning more questions. The next chapter will focus a bit more on Sherry, so look forward to it!**

 **Love to my commenters, love to my readers. Enjoy the story, and always remember the Library accepts All.**

 **Arrivederci!**


	26. Chapter 25: Muddling the Mixture

**Happy Thanksgiving from the Library!**

 **I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story so far, and your energetic comments have brought many a smile to my face. The immortality issue is something that came up while I was writing, and it's a serious enough issue that will most likely come up again. Hopefully my characters will handle it well.**

 **Hope you're feeling well from the holidays and the time you may or may not have spent with your families. I've probably eaten enough food for two people over the past couple of days, and there's still leftovers to be had.**

 **Anyways, here's the chapter for the week. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 25: Muddling the Mixture

It had taken a month, a few weeks of practice and refinement, and yet the first words Sherry said on the day of the competition were: "I know I agreed to this, but I'm still _really_ nervous."

As he was busy getting everyone's bags together, Tyr had to chuckle at the predictability of his daughter. "Well, you made the decision. Gotta live with it now."

Sherry pouted, but didn't say anything further. She was nervous, which was something to be expected. She had spent the majority of her free time creating new recipes and perfecting older ones, and according to Pinkie Pie, had almost doubled the number of baked goods they could make at Sugar Cube Corner. She was as ready as she could be, by anyone's estimate. "She's not complaining again, is she?"

Tyr glanced up to see Luna coming downstairs, a small smile on her face. Tyr's eyes were drawn to her stomach, which was beginning to protrude a little. "Yeah, she's complaining again," Tyr said with a small laugh.

Over the past month, Tyr had noticed some subtle changes from his favored princess. Her diction was becoming more and more casual instead of its usual elegance, although she still spoke in her usual musical way. She was also dressing in more flowy clothes, along with keeping her hair away from her face. Although nothing could change that playful sparkle Tyr saw in her eyes whenever they met gazes. Behind Luna came Chrysalis, a frown on the Changeling's face. "What's wrong with you?" Tyr asked.

Like Luna, Chrys had begun changing her style as well. After an awful period where she wanted to wear nothing at all (except for her collar and attached leash) Tyr had convinced her that unless she wore clothes, she would be kicked out. Therefore, Chrys opted to wear pretty revealing clothes, along with keeping her hair in a high ponytail with a few strands hanging over her face. Tyr couldn't deny she didn't look good in crop tops and skinny jeans. "I am not looking forward to this trip," Chrys said, frown never going away.

"You're always such a naysayer," Luna said, taking a seat in a chair. "Do you not wish to go cheer Sherry on?"

"I'm not saying that," Chrys said. She had lost a lot of her usual snap whenever people made comments like that. "You know I don't eat normal food, so why should I look forward to a competition featuring only that? Don't get me wrong, I wish to see Sherry win just as much as you do."

Sherry smiled. "Thanks, Chrys."

"Well, win or lose, it'll be a good experience," Tyr said. He smiled. "Although I'm sure you'll be top ten easy."

"You have such confidence!" Luna said with a giggle.

"Of course I have confidence in my daughter!"

"I suppose it won't be all bad," Chrys muttered. "I'm more than likely going to be gawked at quite a bit. Should be quite filling."

"I thought your heart only belonged to your Master?" Luna teased.

Chrys's hand went immediately to her throat, where her collar still sat. "O-of course! But…"

"It's fine, it's fine," Tyr chuckled. "I understand, Chrissy."

Chrys blushed at Tyr's personal nickname for her. "…Okay."

Tyr turned to the pile of bags and whatnot near the front door. He was beginning to really appreciate having a truck. "I think we've packed enough for a week," He said with a chuckle. "Unless we're missing anything…?"

The three girls all shook their heads no. "We've packed enough, I'd say," Luna said.

"Well, we should get going. It's a decent drive to the city this thing is being held in. About two hours."

"Ugh. Another long ride," Chrys muttered. "Just wonderful."

"Guess I should get this stuff packed in then…" Tyr began, only for the doorbell to ring. "Who on earth would that be?"

"I'll get it," Sherry said, hopping up and going to the door. She opened it, and was surprised to find Celestia standing there. "Princess Celestia?"

"Hello, Sherry," Celestia said, smiling. "Eager for today?"

"Um… yes, but how did you know?"

"Luna told her, obviously," Chrys said.

Celestia shook her head. "No, Pinkie Pie told me. I'm surprised you all haven't left yet."

"Was just about to load up and go," Tyr informed her. "What brings you by here?"

"I came to inform you that the girls and I decided to join you."

"The girls?"

"Twilight and her friends. Oh, Ace, Flash and the little ones will be coming along as well."

Sherry blinked. "All of them, coming for me…?"

"Yes, when I told them, they were quite adamant about it. I am not surprised they want to be there to support you."

"Oh… wow."

"Takes a village to raise a child," Tyr intoned, chuckling softly. With a gentle wave of his hands, he brought his magic to life, levitating a group of the bags up. "Now, I gotta get these in the truck."

"Let me help you," Celestia said brightly, her own golden aura gathering up all the bags and ordering them into a line to march out the door. Tyr watched in mild amusement.

"Showoff," He said with a smile. Celestia simply smiled back.

"Oh, I'm not late again, am I?" Grace appeared at the doorway, peeking in. "Oh, thank goodness. You all haven't left."

"Ah, good to see you, Grace," Luna said, waving at her other knight.

"Let me guess, you were coming along as well?" Chrys asked dryly. Grace frowned a bit at the comment.

"Well," She said, a bit uncertainly, "It's my job, y'know…"

"…Point taken. I'm simply teasing you." Chrys pouted. "You're no fun."

"She's earnest," Luna pointed out with a small giggle. Grace frowned at that, not sure how to respond.

"You're getting better with your magic, Tyr," Celestia observed, watching him use it to organize their things in the back of the truck from the doorway.

"Well, given I have two girls that use it almost liberally, I picked it up quickly." Tyr smirked. "Trial and error is a good teacher."

"That it is."

"So everyone is coming along?" Sherry asked, eyes wide. Celestia bent over to get on her level.

"Yes, they are, little one. They all want to support you."

"I… hope I don't let them down…"

"I believe the very fact you were asked to participate is good enough, young Sherry. You don't have to win or anything to make us proud of you."

"I'm already proud of you," Tyr said, moving over to pat his daughter's head. "Win or lose, that won't change. Well, if you win, I'm gonna be wearing a Pinkie Pie sized grin on my face, but I'll always be proud of you."

Sherry giggled. "Thanks dad."

"We should be going soon," Luna said, glancing up at the clock. "We do not want to be late."

"Good point," Tyr said. "Alright, everyone, let's get rolling!"

"We'll meet you there," Celestia said, smiling as she moved back outside. "Have a safe ride!"

Tyr again found himself reminding himself that human technology was still a novelty to Equestrians. The enraptured face of Sherry as she beheld her first big city was both adorable and funny, while the quiet study on the faces of Luna and Grace was simply normal. They had both lived in the Equestrian capital, so they were a bit more used to large cities. However, both of the girls jumped a bit as other cars barreled past them or other loud noises surprised them. The only one in the vehicle who was indifferent to it all was Chrys. [You don't seem so interested] He thought, catching his Changeling a little off guard.

[This is where I was before I ended up at your home, Master] Chrys thought back, a small sigh escaping her lips. [I am… hoping to not encounter any old memories.]

[Regardless of who you meet, you still belong to me] Tyr thought, a little playfully. [Don't forget that]

[Of course not, Master. I remember my place] She giggled softly, hand reaching up to touch her collar again.

"Where are we going to be staying?" Grace asked.

"I picked a hotel near where the competition is going to be held," Tyr said, navigating the slightly backed up streets with ease. "We'll head there after I get Sherry checked in."

At the mention of her name, the young girl rubbed the clear top of the container she had sat in her lap. The paper the two men had given her when they told her about the competition had instructed her to bring a sample of her best work in order to go through the preliminary round. As it was her best kind of treat, she had brought a small batch of her cinnamon rolls. "Well, here we go," She murmured.

The building the competition was being held in was a convention style hall, with a large table set at the doorway. A pair of women sat at it, checking off people as they approached. Tyr parked along the sidewalk. "Luna, Chrys, Grace, you girls stay here. Come on, Sherry."

"Kay."

The man and his daughter got out of the vehicle and went over to the table, pushing their way lightly through the crowd. They managed to get to the table in one piece. The woman sitting there tilted her head forward, regarding them impartially from behind her glasses. "Name?"

"S-Sherry Spice," Sherry stuttered, her nerves getting to her again.

The woman glanced down at the paper in front of her. After scanning it for a moment, she looked up at Tyr. "And you must be her father…?"

"Tyr Hymir," Tyr replied evenly. The woman looked back down at her paper before nodding to herself.

"Good. You're in group D, so put whatever you made in the designated area." As the woman made a mark on her paper, Tyr glanced past her to where a lot of people were gathered around inside. There were several tables marked A through E.

"There's five areas?"

"There are about five hundred participants," the woman said offhandedly. "We have them divided up into five groups of one hundred, and the top ten of each group will move on to the next round. From there, the next top ten will be in the active competition."

"That seems pretty clean," Tyr said with an appreciative nod. "So I'm guessing they'll be having them cook something for the second stage?"

"It'll be explained when the time comes. For now, go put your entry in the designated area."

"…Alright then." Tyr gently guided Sherry into the building, the young girl moving closer to him, her natural shyness coming back. There were quite a few kids and their parents milling about, along with other adults and young adults. A few gave them looks as they passed by, and Tyr noticed that Sherry would be the only Equestrian in the competition as far as he could tell. The same fact seemed to set in for the girl at his side, and she clung tighter to him. "You okay, sugarcube?" He did his best to imitate Applejack. He apparently did a passing job at it, and his daughter giggled softly.

"I think I'll be okay," She said after a moment of thought. She smiled up at him. "Thanks for being here, dad."

"Why on earth would I be anywhere else?" He chuckled. He gently rubbed her hair. "I'm your dad, after all."

They went over to the D table where a number of other containers of varying sizes sat. As Sherry set her container down, a disdainful voice spoke up. "Simple cinnamon rolls? How very… droll."

Tyr felt an instant surge of anger, but squashed it as he turned to the voice. An affluently dressed couple stood behind them, amused smirks on their faces. Between them was a young boy, no older than Sherry. He had a small frown on his face. "Excuse me?" Tyr asked softly. He felt his anger subside somewhat. Rich people always seemed to think they were entitled to whatever opinions they had, so he could only feel a little disappointed that they felt the need to belittle others.

"Your entry into this competition is simple cinnamon rolls, darling?" the woman said, looking over and into Sherry's container. "Oh my. Darling, you must think bigger than that."

Tyr's frown deepened. The way she said darling made him upset. It had begun to feel like Rarity's catchphrase at times, he had to admit. "I don't see anything wrong with her entry," Tyr said, a little coldly.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Are you her friend?"

"Her father."

That got a couple of weird looks. But the two recovered easily. "You have to wow these judges, dear. Let us show you our little Uriel's entry!"

They stepped aside with a flourish, and a small team of white clad men came in, carrying a large platter of what seemed to be a grand assortment of desserts. The men moved over to the table and, after shoving a lot of the other containers off onto the floor, dropped the platter down on the newly empty space. "That is how you wow the judges!" The man said with a laugh.

"Our little Uriel has cooking down to a science!" The woman said. "He can memorize and perfect any recipe given to him, down to the tiniest bit of flavor. Nothing he makes can be bad!"

Sherry looked down at the table. The massive platter with the young boy's name on it certainly looked delicious. But… something simply seemed to be missing. When she glanced down at her container, miraculously spared the indignity of being pushed to the floor, she realized what it was. "He did all these… with a recipe?"

"Down to the last letter."

"Does he… enjoy baking?"

The two seemed a bit surprised at her comment. "Enjoy… why, he's the best! Why wouldn't he enjoy it?"

Sherry frowned. Something about that just didn't feel right to her, and Tyr could see it plainly on her face. "Sherry?"

The pink haired girl shook her head. "Just because you're the best at something doesn't mean you enjoy it…" She sighed. "I love to bake. I come up with all sorts of new recipes so that I can have fun while I do it."

Uriel's parents frowned at that. "Well! Perhaps that is how you see things, but we have taught our son better! He is going to win this competition, just you watch! Come along, dear." They began herding their son away. The quiet child kept his eyes on Sherry a moment longer before following his parent's lead. The man and his daughter watched them leave in silence.

"I don't like people like that," Tyr murmured to himself. He glanced over to where Sherry was slowly picking up the containers that had fallen onto the floor and set them on the table, forced to put them in a pile because of the lack of space. A soft, pride filled smile crossed his face. "…Hey Sherry. Let me help you with that."

He moved over beside her and helped her gather up the fallen containers. They drew a few stares, but it only took a few minutes to get everything back onto the table. "That's much better," Sherry said with a small smile. As she admired her work, Tyr noticed that Sherry's container made the bottom layer of the neatly stacked pile. He chose not to point it out.

"Come on," He said, patting her head again. "The others are waiting for us."

"Oh, that's right. We can go." She smiled warmly up at him.

Without another word, the two of them went back outside to the waiting truck. Chrys was engaged in an argument with Luna from outside of the truck. She turned slightly and spotted him, her frustration giving way to undisguised glee. "Master! You finally return!"

She ran/flew to him, embracing him eagerly. Tyr couldn't help but chuckle. "Miss me that much?"

"Of course I did! I could feel your irritation from out here, Master. I wished to go to you at once, but someone—" She shot an angry glare at Luna. "—told me to simply wait for you."

Tyr ran his fingers through Chrys's hair with a small smile. "I was fine, but I appreciate the thought. We just had to deal with a couple of abrasive parents."

"I told you he was fine," Luna said, smirking at the Changeling. Chrys looked like she wanted to retort, but Tyr simply dug his fingers in just a little deeper into her scalp, eliciting a deep purr of pleasure from her, overriding any response she would have had. Luna and Grace looked surprised. "What on earth?"

"Oh, that feels so good…" Chrys purred as Tyr continued his ministrations. "Why on earth do I not let you do this more often…"

"She must be a cat," Grace muttered. "A tall, skinny and… black cat."

After a few more moments of massaging Chrys's head, Tyr finally convinced her to get back in the truck. After Tyr and Sherry got back into the vehicle, they quickly made their way to the hotel. As Tyr had previously stated, it wasn't that far away from the competition building, almost just a couple blocks away. Comfortably within walking distance. A few minutes more, they had their things being taken up to their room. While Tyr helped Grace arrange for her own room, Sherry noticed something out of the corner of her eye. With a sly grin, she slipped away from her 'family' and went over to the breakfast area. She snuck up behind one man seated at a table and slipped her hands over his eyes. "Guess who!"

The man grumbled for a bit before sniffing the air slightly. "Hm? Mercy…? No wait. That voice… and the vague scent of sugar, spice and everything nice… Sherry?"

Sherry giggled and removed her hands, revealing the slightly amused face of Jehu. "Hello, Mr. Jehu!"

"Well, it's certainly nice to see my little friend again," Jehu said, grinning. "I have to admit, you caught me off guard. I was honestly expecting my wife to be playing a prank on me."

Jehu motioned to the chair beside him, and Sherry took the offered seat. "You don't seem surprised to see me here."

The man chuckled, his violet eyes reflecting his mirth. "You don't beat around the bush, do you? Why do you think I was talking to you about opportunity?"

"Wait… so those men…"

"I didn't send them. I simply sent a very nice review of Sugar Cube corner to a friend of mine. I guess he forwarded it?" Jehu thought for a moment, looking completely perplexed. "I must admit, I was surprised he suggested you. But I suppose things happen for a reason." His thoughtful look gave way to a more humorous one. "Excited for the competition?"

Sherry smiled shyly. "I'm nervous. Really nervous. But I'm also really looking forward to it."

"Challenges are always good," Jehu agreed with a nod. His eyes then regarded something behind her. He smirked. "Why, hello there, Princess. A pleasure to see you again."

Sherry turned in her seat to see Luna standing over her. The Princess of the Night smiled softly. "I was wondering where you had gone off to, Sherry," She said with a small laugh. "Imagine my surprise when I see Jehu sitting here with you."

"I like to pop up in unexpected places," Jehu said with his smile becoming a grin. "And may I just say, you look like a full moon on a clear night. Such a calming glow about you."

Luna seemed taken aback by the sudden compliment, but recovered with ease. "I… um… thank you."

"So, when are you due?" During the short conversation, Mercy had walked in on them, a fedora like hat sat atop her head and her bangs held back away from her face by a small braid.

Luna froze in shock, a deep blush rising into her cheeks. "I… uh… you can tell?"

Mercy giggled softly. "I have had three children, Princess Luna. I think I can tell when another woman is pregnant."

"Um… it's been three months."

"Ah, I see. Speaking of my daughters…"

Almost as if on cue, three young ladies of varying ages came from an adjoining hallway. The tallest, and most likely the oldest, looked like a very refined young woman, her silver-white hair falling down her shoulders and framing her face almost perfectly. Her eyes were a light hazel color, and her skin was like pale marble. Although the smile on her face brightened up her entire demeanor, she still seemed to elegantly drift into the room.

The second girl was shorter than the first, her short black hair falling only just to her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep green color, and to any slight glance would reveal the glaring similarities between her and Mercy. The only difference was their height and build. She was listening to the third girl, a slight frown on her face.

The last of the girls was highly animated, her snow white hair bouncing as she bounced along beside the other two. She was obviously the youngest, her youthful mirth and general unquenchable happiness on display for all to see. Her hair had red highlights in it, and her bright energetic eyes were a bright red as well. She was obviously telling the other two some story before her eyes fell on Jehu and she exclaimed in a loud voice: "Daddy!"

Without hesitation, the girl dashed over to Jehu, crossing the short distance in a matter of seconds. Jehu had meanwhile simply stood up, catching the girl in a spinning hug before settling her down, a wild giggle coming from her. He rubbed his face up against hers lovingly. "Well, how's my little sunshine today?"

"I had the greatest dream!" The girl began, before turning to Sherry and Luna. Instead of seeming confused, the girl instead brightened up even more. Her grin widened. "Hi! Are you friends of my dad?"

"Um… yes, I would say that we are," Luna said, almost uncertainly.

"Sweetie," Mercy said with a barely contained laugh. "You need to introduce yourself."

The girl giggled. "Oh, right! I'm Passion Striate, nice to meet you!"

Sherry smiled back. The girl's happiness was almost contagious. "I'm Sherry. It's nice to meet you, Passion."

"I like meeting new people!" Passion said with a wide grin. She glanced up at Luna. "…Is that your mom? You don't look like her."

Luna and Sherry froze at that. Neither of them could properly formulate a response, so it was the silver haired girl who spoke up. Her voice was a soft admonishment, but a laugh was in her eyes. "Now Passion, you know better. Out of the three of us, only Ana looks the most like mother."

Passion thought on that for a moment. "Oh. That's right." Her grin returned almost instantly. "But I love mom. So if she loves her mom, it doesn't matter, does it, Isabel?"

There was silence for a long moment. Jehu gently tousled the hair of the girl in his arms. "You're too adorable for your own good," He chuckled.

The silver haired girl—now revealed to be named Isabel—shook her head. There was a soft smile on her face. "That is her charm, isn't it, father?"

"She is quite adorable," Luna agreed. Isabel glanced over at her, her eyes turning a soft reddish color as she frowned. "…Is… something wrong?"

"There is darkness on your heart…" Isabel murmured, oblivious to Luna's comment. Her voice had taken on a multi-toned feature to it, as if multiple voices were speaking at once. Before Luna could repeat her question, Ana reached over and gently nudged her older sister, breaking her out of her semi-trance. Her voice returned to normal. "Huh? Oh, I apologize, I was thinking of something else."

At that moment, Tyr and Chrys came over, a small frown on the man's face. "I'm shocked how hard that was… oh hello. What's going on over here?"

"I was just introducing my family to yours," Jehu said with a small smile. "Nice to see you again, Tyr."

"Same to you," Tyr said with a slight nod. He glanced around at the group. "…Only girls?"

For once, Jehu frowned. He shrugged. "Apparently I'm cursed. Go figure."

Mercy smiled and draped her arms around her husband's shoulders, kissing him lovingly on the cheek. "You know you adore your daughters, love."

"I never said I didn't."

Mercy looked back over at Tyr and Luna. The couple had almost unconsciously moved closer together, the man putting an arm around the smaller girl's waist. "…So what are you two looking for? A boy or a girl?"

"Well…" Luna touched her stomach lightly. "…We're having twins."

"Oh, that sounds so wonderful," Isabel said.

Tyr smiled. "She made me the happiest man alive."

"I'd argue that," Jehu said quietly, only loud enough for his wife to hear. She hugged him a little tighter. They both shared a knowing smile.

"Ah, there they are!" A familiar voice called. They all looked up to find Twilight, her five friends, and two rather belligerent men coming over to them. Ace and Flash were arguing, as usual, while they lugged in a truly impressive mountain of suitcases. "We were wondering if we picked the right hotel."

"You all are staying at the same hotel as us?" Luna asked, a bit surprised.

"Princess Celestia told us," Rarity said, flashing a winning smile at Jehu and his wife. "It is nice to see you again, Sir Jehu."

Jehu and Mercy seemed a bit surprised. "Sir?"

"You seem the knightly sort," Rarity continued. "Am I… wrong?"

"Not in the slightest," Mercy said with a soft laugh. "Jehu was knighted by a dear friend of ours."

"Although in all technicality, our father is a Lord," Ana pointed out softly. She had stuck a pair of earphones in her ears, and was seated off to the side of the group.

Rarity stuttered. "A-A lord?" Her friends rolled their eyes; Rarity had a penchant for getting star struck easily. Especially with knights or Lords.

"Please don't start with the honorifics," Jehu said, holding up a hand. "I hate that sort of thing. Just call me Jehu."

Luna nodded. "I believe I understand. My sister and I request that of all our subjects."

"About damn time," Ace grumbled, coming over with Flash. "Why the hell did it take so long for us to get some kind of help with those things…?"

"I think the better question is why Rarity needed so many bags," Flash said, glaring over at the fashionista. Rarity giggled slightly, smiling nervously.

"I have to be prepared for any possibility," Rarity pointed out.

"Jehu," Mercy said softly. "We have to go soon, love."

Jehu thought for a moment before nodding. "Right, right. Well, duty calls, girls."

Passion seemed upset. "Aw, we have to leave already?"

"Yes dear. Come on." Jehu got up, Mercy moving to give him space as he did so. He smiled at the group. "Well, it was pretty nice to see you all again. Sorry we have to go, but duty calls."

"It was fun," Sherry said with a smile.

"Good luck in the competition," Passion told the pink haired girl, a wide smile on her face. "Daddy says you're a really good baker!"

Tyr smiled. "That she is. Well, we will most likely see you all around."

"Very likely," Jehu said with a small wink at Sherry. "Enjoy your stay!"

The Striate family left then, the girls forming up around Jehu as his youngest daughter resumed telling whatever story she had been telling. "Well, they seemed nice," Fluttershy offered.

Tyr glanced over at his daughter. Sherry was quiet, eyes gazing down at the cube hanging around her neck. The haphazard design bothered the eyes, but the owner of the object didn't seem to be bothered by it. She more so looked confused. "Something wrong, Sherry?" He asked finally.

"I thought I heard…" She shook her head. "…Nothing. Never mind."

"I reckon she's just hungry," Applejack joked, only to be answered by a low growl from her girlfriend. Fluttershy blushed. "…I reckon we are all pretty hungry, huh?"

"Finally!" Rainbow groaned. "I thought I was going to die of starvation over here!"

"So should we go out to eat?" Tyr asked.

"That sounds wonderful," Luna said, nodding. "But… where should we go?"

Her fiancé grinned. "I know a good place."

-x-

"Way to almost drop the ball, sis," Ana said with a chuckle. The rest of her family laughed as well, while Isabel blushed slightly, looking a little nervous.

"I can't help it when Tsukiyomi triggers like that," Isabel claimed. "And when I see things like that…"

"Was the darkness around her that thick?" Mercy asked, a little concerned. "If it becomes too much of a problem…"

"We let them handle it," Jehu murmured. His family seemed a bit surprised by that.

"If we can help, why don't we?" Passion demanded. Jehu simply chuckled and rested a hand on his youngest daughter's head.

"We're primarily observers," Jehu said softly. "If we were to help every time, others would not be able to handle it if we're not around. Understand?"

"Yeah…"

Jehu glanced up and smiled softly. "Mercy, take the girls and go on ahead. I've got one last person to speak to."

Mercy nodded without saying anything, ushering her daughters off while Jehu waited. Once they were out of sight, a soft voice spoke up. "You didn't have to send your family away."

"I figured you'd want privacy while we spoke," Jehu said, looking over. Celestia had approached him, a small frown on her face. Still pretty though, Jehu thought with a small smile. He gestured to a nearby coffee shop. "Care to join me?"

"If you have time."

"Nothing but." They moved over to the coffee shop and took a table, Jehu ordering hot chocolate and Celestia getting tea. A girl in a cat-girl outfit brought their drinks over before skipping back over to the front counter. Jehu and Celestia sat in companionable silence until finally Celestia spoke her mind.

"You are not human, are you, Jehu Striate?"

"That obvious?" Jehu asked jokingly, a grin splitting his face. He chuckled. "I thought I was doing such a good job of hiding it."

"I do not have the time for your usual antics, Jehu."

"Bothers you, does it? I'm pretty sure you'd have a different opinion, since you've dealt with worse heralds of Chaos."

Celestia winced. "You know of him?"

Jehu leaned back, a slight smile on his face. "Of course I do."

"Regardless. I would like to know where you stand." Celestia frowned. "You helped us once."

"That I did. But normally, I'm simply an observer." Jehu sighed. "I've done my part in keeping dimensions intact."

"So you will only act if this world is in danger?"

"Essentially." Jehu sipped at his drink, a small smile rolling over his face. "Or when the opposing party decides they want to play hardball. There's a lot on the line, Celestia. A lot, for once, that you are unaware of."

"How much?"

"That, I can't say." Jehu thought for a moment. "…mm no, Can't really tell."

"…This is far from helpful," Celestia complained. Jehu simply laughed.

"I'm doing my best. Jeez, you and Sherry both think I'm trying to not help. I can truly only give so much information."

"And speaking of young Sherry Spice, what is your business with her?" Celestia frowned. "You gave her the cube, did you not? Why?"

"I didn't have any particular plans for it," Jehu admitted. "The cube responding to her was a far gone conclusion, and just plain freaky, to be honest. I didn't expect it myself. But hey, everything's possible."

Celestia frowned but said nothing. Jehu was a conundrum, yet at first meeting it seemed like he took everything so simply. He never seemed to frown, and never seemed to take anything seriously. But whenever she spoke to him, she got the feeling he knew a lot more than he let on. Suddenly, she remembered. "You never answered my question."

"Did you ask one?"

"What are you, Jehu Striate?"

To her surprise, Jehu's smile gave way to a neutral expression. "Hm. Would you believe me if I told you?"

"I have seen a lot of things in my lifetime. I doubt you could surprise me."

Jehu's grin returned. "I'm the Arbiter of Chaos. Oh, and a vampire."

"Vampire…?" Celestia trailed off, noticing the sharp canines in Jehu's mouth. She shivered a bit. "That sounds like something you'd say first."

"I thought being an agent of Chaos would be more worrisome to you."

"It is." Celestia frowned. "Although sitting across a table from someone who would gladly drink my blood is a bit… how should I say, odd?"

Jehu laughed. "No worries, I only partake of Mercy's blood. Unless you're offering…?"

His violet eyes glowed ever so slightly, a little menacingly. There was a question in those eyes she was not willing to give an answer to. Celestia unconsciously drew back. "No thank you."

"Very well." Jehu leaned back in his chair, sipping at his hot chocolate. He didn't seem that put off by her instant denial. Almost as if he expected it.

"I thought vampires could not eat normal food? Like a Changeling from our world?"

"You'd be surprised how many rules get broken when you deal with Chaos." Jehu grinned. "Plus, I've made a habit of it. Not used to Chaotic influence?"

"I've experienced my share. Not planning to cause chocolate rain? Or cotton candy clouds?"

"Oh, that sounds like fun."

"…It's not."

"Sounds extremely messy," Jehu agreed. "But I digress. My power is only used if necessary. I'd rather not cause a dimension to collapse."

Collapse? Celestia looked up sharply. "What did you say…?"

Jehu sighed. "I'd love to stay, Princess, but I have to go."

"What?"

The man in front of her stood up. "I have some business to attend to. I'd love to stay and chat, but I can't. We can always do this again."

Celestia frowned. "And you truly mean no harm to my people?"

Jehu grinned. "Of course not. I can honestly say I've only hated one person. Anything else I do is just for fun." He tapped the edge of her cup playfully.

He turned and left, leaving the princess of the sun sitting at the table alone. She was confused. Jehu claimed to only want good, but was only an observer? And what he was… she was not surprised vampires or other mythical things existed, but his claim to be an agent of Chaos… could she trust him? Resolving to look into the matter, she took a sip of her tea—

"…Juice?" She frowned down at her cup. She could have sworn she had tea a moment ago. Perhaps she had been mistaken. "Excuse me, miss?"

The girl that had served them came over, a smile on her face. "Is something wrong, miss?"

"I believe I had ordered tea. This is juice."

"But… I brought you tea…" The girl seemed confused.

Celestia could barely conceal her shock. That man… she found herself chuckling. "Never mind, my dear. I was simply mistaken." She would certainly keep an eye on that man. He was an enigma, to be sure. But there was a certainty that he would not be a threat.

-x-

"Oh, that was good!" Rainbow said with a happy smile. She patted her stomach. "I couldn't eat another bite!"

Tyr and his giant group of friends had taken over the back corner of a restaurant and were just finishing their loud dinner. While the older members of the group sat together, the younger kids were on one end to themselves. The restaurant was relatively empty except for them, so they were free to arrange the tables into a weird L shape and enjoy their company. Chuckling at Rainbow's comment, Applejack spoke up. "You sure did pack it away, RD."

"I was hungry! Can you blame me?"

"My, you certainly did eat a lot," Rarity remarked, glancing at the plates in front of their brazen friend. "Such a large amount…"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Not everyone can eat small meals like you and Flutters, Rarity. I've got to keep my energy up!"

"Hopefully you can work all of that extra off," Fluttershy said.

"I get plenty of exercise," Rainbow assured her.

"How much of that is Ace involved in?" Flash asked.

"Ace and I always work out together… hey!"

The table broke out into laughter. The younger group, not understanding the joke, just watched them with confusion. "Adults are weird," Spike pointed out.

"Seconded," Sweetie Bell said.

"Well, we'll be adults one day," Sherry pointed out.

"But they're adults now, and they're weird now," Scootaloo complained. "Ace and Dash always make these weird jokes when it gets late at night."

"Applejack and Fluttershy aren't weird!" Applebloom said. "But… they sure do get lovey-dovey sometimes."

"Same with Twilight and Flash," Spike said with a chuckle. "Sometimes I think they forget I'm in the room."

"It's probably just a couple thing," Sweetie Bell said. She glanced over at Sherry. "Are Tyr and Luna like that?"

Sherry was quiet for a moment, messing with the cube around her neck. "Well… not all the time. Sometimes, dad just gets really quiet while he's watching Luna. And he just kind of smiles whenever he's talking to her."

The others were quiet for a moment. "That's… really sweet," Sweetie Bell said, smiling. "They really love each other, don't they?"

"Mmhm."

"So!" Applebloom decided to change the subject. "You looking forward to having siblings, Sherry?"

"Oh, that's right!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed. "Princess Luna is having a baby, isn't she?"

"She's having twins," Spike clarified.

"Even cooler!"

Sherry smiled. "I'm a little nervous, cause I'll be a big sister. But I think I'll be okay."

"I wish I had another sister," Sweetie Bell said. Then, she suddenly perked up. "Oh! Or a niece!"

"A niece?" Applebloom looked confused. "How're y'all gonna have a niece?"

"If Rarity and Pinkie Pie have a baby!"

"They can't have a baby," Spike pointed out. "They're both girls."

"They could always adopt," Sherry pointed out softly. "So could Applejack and Fluttershy."

"I think Fluttershy would make a good mom," Sweetie Bell said. "She's so gentle."

"Yeah!" Applebloom agreed. "An Applejack is like, the best big sister ever! She'd be a great mom!"

"I don't think being a good sister automatically makes a good mom," Spike said.

"Maybe it does!"

Sherry giggled softly. Her friends were silly sometimes. She was about to throw in her own opinion when she heard a soft voice say:

~Help~

She froze on the spot. She glanced around, but the only person who would have spoken that softly was Fluttershy, and she was busy listening to Rarity and Pinkie describe some fancy party they went to. A tap on her shoulder brought her attention back to her friends, who all looked concerned. "Something wrong, Sherry?" Applebloom asked.

"I… thought I heard someone say something," Sherry said, uncertainty in her voice.

"Everybody's talking," Spike said, earning himself an elbow in the side from Sweetie Bell. "Ow!"

"It was a soft voice," Sherry murmured. "Someone asked me for help."

"It wasn't one a us," Applebloom said. "…was it?"

"I didn't say anything," Scootaloo claimed.

"Me neither," Sweetie Bell said.

Spike shook his head. "Same here."

Sherry frowned. She knew she had heard that voice; it had been so clear, as if someone had spoken in right into her ear. But no one near her had said anything. She shook her head and decided not to worry about it. It would only distract her, and she had a competition to participate in. Whatever the voice was, who it came from, or what they wanted was not her concern.

* * *

 **Sherry's got some mysteries cropping up around her, it seems. And Jehu's not doing much to answer any of those questions, is he?**

 **Oh, and by the way: Tsukiyomi=Soo-Kee-Oh-Mi.**

 **I know someone out there will be wondering how it's pronounced. There ya go.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to comment if you like, and look forward to the next one! The Library Accepts All!**

 **Hwyl Fawr! (It's Welsh. And trying to pronounce it is ridiculous)**


	27. Chapter 26: Sweet Relief

**Greetings again, friends! Another week, another chapter.**

 **I have seen your desires, and taken them into account. A lot of the reason I only post once a week is because it usually takes that long to write a chapter. You know, life and stuff. But as the story gets into what I consider the "meat" of the story, I might get production up. Just stick with me, please!**

 **And no, I don't believe in sparkling vampires. They just sound too conspicuous. And just to put it out there, I did indeed read the entire Twilight series. Mainly because of an ex-girlfriend, mainly because I hate leaving book series unfinished. Sparkling vampires just isn't my thing. I prefer my bloodsuckers to be a little more... well, you'll see. :D**

 **Enough blathering from me. Into the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 26: Sweet Belief

"She made it through the preliminaries!"

Ace raised his head from his bed as Scootaloo came running into the room, stopping just short of the bed he was sharing with Rainbow Dash. The rainbow haired athlete grumbled and rolled over onto her other side. "Who did what now?" He asked while rubbing at his eyes. He was still groggy, and Scootaloo's excitement wasn't helping matters.

"Sherry! She made top ten in the second group!" Scootaloo was extremely happy for her friend, which was obvious. Sherry had come in seventh in the first round, and then third in the second. With a small chuckle, Ace reached out and tousled her hair.

"Well, that's good for her. Are they doing the second round yet?"

"I think they're doing it today, so we should find out soon."

"Well, considering how good that girl is at baking, she should make it for sure."

"Yeah! Oh, the girls wanted to know if we could check out the city today!"

She seemed pretty eager, and Ace couldn't find it in himself to say no. "Well, let me get up and take a shower first."

"Okay, but hurry up!" Scootaloo dashed back out into the hallway.

Rainbow rolled back over and looked up at Ace with her rose colored eyes. "She's excited."

"Her friend made the top ten," Ace pointed out. "Even Sherry was shocked."

His girlfriend chuckled. "Yeah, she almost had a panic attack! So, she's gotta actually cook something now?"

"From what Tyr said, yeah. Jeez. It's crazy when you think about it. That girl is in the top ten of _five hundred_ people."

"I guess it's a big deal," Rainbow muttered, rolling onto her back. Ace rolled his eyes and got up out of the bed. The hotel room was pretty comfortable, and spending two days so far in it had been pretty swag. Plus, they were on a different floor than the others, so when Scootaloo was out… He chuckled and gathered up his clothes and went into the bathroom. A slow smile crossed her face as an idea came to her. "Want me to join you in there?"

"I doubt we'd actually get clean, Dashie," Ace remarked with a laugh. "Plus, you know how quickly Scootaloo gets impatient."

"Yeah…"

"Reminds me of you sometimes."

"Oh, shut up!"

She could hear him chuckling as the shower came on. She rolled her eyes and sat up herself, glancing out the window. She had never been a fan of big cities, as there wasn't a lot of room for flying. And unless you lived high up, it was difficult to see the sky. She sighed. Although she had her wings, there wasn't a lot of desire to fly in a place like this. The sky over a city was hardly as clear as it would be over a small town. Maybe if she went high enough, it wouldn't be so bothersome. Her train of thought went on for some time before she heard the shower shut off and the bathroom door open. "That was a quick shower."

"That's cause you weren't in there with me," Ace retorted, earning a chuckle from the girl at the window. She turned and froze on the spot, a gasp escaping her lips. Ace's smile gave way to a frown. "…what?"

"Your… your hair…?"

Ace frowned and went into the bathroom to look at his reflection. His hair was now snow white, much like his sister's. Instead of being confused or surprised, he simply laughed. "Aw, man. I totally forgot."

"Forgot…? Forgot what?" Rainbow came over to him to stand beside him.

"This is my natural hair color," Ace explained. "I dyed it because having white hair and red eyes used to scare people away. Guess after all this time not reapplying it, it washed out."

"White hair, huh…?" She reached up to run her fingers through it. "I… kinda like it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I don't think its creepy at all. And if anyone says otherwise, I'll give them a piece of my mind."

That got a chuckle from her boyfriend, and he pulled her to him. He kissed her gently. "Thanks, Dashie."

"I'm always on your side, Ace."

He smiled back at her before glancing at the clock. "I should be getting dressed. Scoots will probably be running back in here in a minute."

"Yeah, I kinda need to use the bathroom anyway." She shoved him out. "So get going!"

"Jeez, I'm going, I'm going." He sounded upset, but was grinning the whole time. Rainbow watched him get dressed, and once he was finished she smiled.

"Have fun."

"Catch up with you later?"

She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a passionate kiss. When she finally let go, his grin was even bigger. "You know it."

Ace picked up his bag and went to the door. "Love ya, babe!"

He left, Rainbow smiling softly as he did so. "Love you too."

She turned back to the mirror, taking a moment to brush her rainbow colored hair out of her face. She loved how close Ace and Scootaloo were getting, and after the adoption they had grown even closer. To be honest, she did miss having the girl following her every move, but not that respect and admiration Scootaloo had for her had become something more akin to love for a sister or a… mother. Rainbow frowned. She wasn't completely sure if she was ready for that yet, but if she was marrying Ace, it was inevitable. Although she'd never reconsider the marriage. Never. So maybe Momma Dash wasn't such a bad thing to look forward to? She chuckled and picked up the rainbow colored bag sitting on the bathroom counter. "I guess I better get going myself."

-x-

"Um… Rarity?" Sherry managed to speak up finally, her shock and confusion finally giving way so that she could finally say something. Rarity had come into the room she and her family shared, and now was going all out with dressing her up. "Is all of this… necessary?"

"Of course it's necessary, dear!" Rarity said with a wide smile. "You have to look your best in a competition like this!"

"But… I'd hate to get this all dirty…" Sherry looked down at the bright pink dress Rarity was dressing her up in. It was ankle length number that flowed slightly along the hem. She wished she wasn't going to go cook in it.

"Worry not, darling."

Tyr chuckled softly, seated on a bed nearby and gently stroking Luna's hair as she lay in his lap. Chrys was behind him, arms draped over his shoulders. "You can't keep yourself from doing stuff like this, can you Rarity?"

"I spare no expense for fashion," Rarity said defensively.

"Such a strange compulsion," Chrys said. "I see no reason in superfluous accessories."

"They add to the ensemble," the fashionista said, pinning Sherry's hair away from her face with an opal hairpin. Rarity smiled softly. "And plus… this is really the only way I can help."

"Rarity…" Luna murmured softly.

"I don't know, sometimes I simply feel like I'm not doing enough for my friends. So when I can do something, I do it."

"Believe me," Tyr said with a soft chuckle. "You've helped out a lot."

Rarity smiled. "Thank you, darling. Now, let me finish this, Sherry."

Sherry smiled. "Okay."

"Sherry!" Scootaloo's voice came from the hallway. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what, darling?" Rarity asked, confused.

"Sherry and her friends wished to see the city before the second stage," Chrys remarked, releasing Tyr. "Ace and I agreed to go with them."

"Oh, that's right. I remember Sweetie Bell asking to go with them."

"She didn't ask you?" Tyr asked, a bit surprised.

Rarity chuckled. "She did, but I have a bit of business to attend to."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Business? You have clients here?"

There was a sparkle in the seamstress's eyes. "Not yet. Why do you think I brought all those bags?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. He could do nothing but respect the aggressive business sense that Rarity had, although at times it could be a little off putting. But in the end, Tyr owed Rarity quite a bit. Half of the clothes he wore now where made by her, after all. "Sherry, go on. We don't want Scootaloo to try breaking down the door."

Sherry giggled. "Yeah, she might at least try."

Chrys and Sherry went over to the door, opening it to find Ace and Scootaloo standing there. Everyone paused at seeing Ace's new hair color. "Well… that's unexpected," Luna murmured.

"Yeah, this is my natural hair color," Ace said. "I got it from my mom."

"Oh my," Rarity murmured. "You look… quite dashing, Ace."

Ace blinked. "…Really? You're not creeped out or anything?"

"It may be because we met your sister," Tyr pointed out, "But it really isn't that creepy."

"Oh, it goes so well with Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said suddenly.

Chrys frowned. "I fail to see how you figure that, Rarity."

"Think about it. Pure white light is a combination of all colors, is it not?" Rarity looked extremely excited. "Oh… this inspires me! I. Must. CREATE!"

She dashed out of the room, almost knocking over Ace in the process. They all sat in silence for a moment. "I believe she is a perfect match for Pinkie Pie," Chrys said suddenly.

Tyr frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because both she and Pinkie make no sense." The others laughed at that. Chrys and Sherry joined the two in the hall way and they moved to get the last members of their group. Sherry and Scootaloo ran ahead a little bit, laughing and talking as they went. Chrys glanced over at her erstwhile companion, seeing that his gaze was focused on the violet haired young girl.

"So you finally broke away from Rainbow Dash?" Chrys asked suddenly, getting Ace's attention. Her comment got a chuckle from the white-haired knight.

"Well, had to sometime. I have an eager daughter who won't slow down." Ace grinned. "What, you keeping tabs on us?"

"I haven't required as much affection from my Master due to all the couples in the building," Chrys replied honestly. "And you and Rainbow Dash… you two are quite in love, no?"

Ace chuckled. "Yeah, we are. I love her to death. And now we have Scootaloo…"

"Well, I wish you well."

That made Ace pause. He glanced over at the Changeling, a small frown on his face. She wasn't looking at him, instead her viridian eyes were focused on Sherry. A smile was growing on her as she watched the two girls interact. Ace spoke up. "You've changed, Chrys."

"What?" Chrys turned to him, a frown crossing her face. "What do you mean?"

"Don't take it the wrong way, but… you've changed a lot from the Queen who tried to take over Equestria. You're a lot gentler than when we first met, and to be honest… it's kinda cool hanging out with you."

Chrys stared at him with pure shock on her face. "…You… you don't mind being around me?"

"Not at all." He grinned and pulled her into a one armed hug. "I like you, Chrys. Sure, you're awkward sometimes, but I was too when I first started making friends."

Chrys didn't immediately know how to react. Ace was friendly, and she couldn't complain about his personality. And… besides Tyr, Luna and Sherry, Ace was one of the first people to truly call her a friend. And he didn't hesitate to show it either. "So… you really do think I'm a friend?"

"Yeah, I do. That bother you?"

"Not at all. What does bother me…" She gently pushed him off. "It will be some time before I accept physical affection from anyone but my Master."

Ace blinked, and then chuckled. "My bad. Sorry."

"It's quite alright. I find that Equestrians on the whole are an affectionate race."

They made it down to the lobby, finding Sherry and Scootaloo meeting up with Applebloom and Sweetie Bell. The four girls turned to them expectantly. "Can we go now?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"It's only a couple a hours until Sherry has to go," Applebloom agreed.

"So where are we going, girls?" Ace asked, kneeling down to be on their level. "You got to remember, only Tyr is really familiar with this place."

"Not true," Chrys said softly. "I know my way around."

"You do?" Scootaloo asked, surprised.

"I used to… live here," Chrys continued, looking out the window. Ace wanted to ask why she sounded so upset about it, but decided against it.

"Then Chrys can show us around!" Sweetie Bell said.

Chrys had suddenly become distant and cold, and Ace frowned. "…Let's get going girls."

With a chorus of agreement, they left the hotel. As their first time in a human city, the four young girls stopped to look at everything, excitement pouring off of them. Ace was amused to watch them, but the quietness of his companion was beginning to throw him off. While the girls were admiring a set of dresses in a window, he moved over beside Chrys. "You alright?"

"No, I am not," Chrys said harshly. Ace was a bit taken aback by the sharp tone she now had. Her demeanor had soured ever since they left the hotel, and there was no indication why. He decided to ask.

"What's eating at you?"

"Nothing whatsoever."

"You're a worse liar than Applejack. Tell me what's up."

Chrys fixed him with a dark gaze. "You really want to know?"

"I'm your friend, aren't I?" Ace gave her a small smile. Chrys kept her gaze hard for a moment before finally relenting and turning away.

"Will you think less of me if I tell you?"

"If it's in the past, it's in the past. I just want to know what's wrong."

"Hey, can we go in and look?" Sweetie Bell asked, coming over to them.

"Bleh!" Scootaloo made a face. "I don't wanna go look at dresses!"

"They have other kinds of clothes in there," Sherry pointed out.

"Ugh, fine."

Ace chuckled. "Alright girls, but don't expect me to buy anything."

"Yay!" The girls cheered and rushed into the store. Chrys and Ace followed, but stopped in a secluded part of the store.

"So," Ace said, leaning against the wall. "Talk to me."

"I was on my own after the Merge," Chrys said after a long moment. "None of my fellow Changelings survived, and I was left to survive on my own. I had to find any means to survive… even some that I am now ashamed of. Many of those things I wish I had never done."

"…I won't ask what you did," Ace said, getting a confused glance from Chrys. "Not saying I'm not curious, but you obviously want to leave it in the past. So that's where we'll keep it. In the past. We all have things we regret, Chrys. It's how we move on from it that changes things."

Chrys's eyes narrowed, but it was more from contemplation than irritation. "You… you are speaking from experience."

Ace nodded. "We all have things in our past that we regret. But…" He glanced over at the four girls. They were laughing at Sweetie Bell, who was imitating Rarity in an over the top flashy dress. Ace dropped his voice to a low whisper, introspective. "We experience it so that they don't have to."

"I… suppose you're right. Then I should brighten up, should I not?" She smiled softly.

"Yeah, that's better. Don't want the girls to worry." He smiled. "Let's go make sure those girls aren't getting in trouble."

Chrys nodded and followed him into the store. Surprisingly, the girls had managed to keep themselves out of any kind of trouble, and were instead playing around trying out clothes. Ace noticed the Changeling beside him was doing her best to seem at least somewhat happy. Well, that was the best he could truly ask for, he figured. Chrys was naturally cynical, and only time and friendship could change that. At least now she was taking the first steps.

After two hours of wandering the city and browsing the various shops, it was time for Sherry to get back to the competition hall. The little group entered the building to find a number of cooking stations all along the main floor with little name cards at each one. Always the curious one, Scootaloo went over to one. "Hey, this one has your name on it," She said, pointing at the card. The other girls came over and confirmed it; Sherry's name was written on the card.

"I guess you have to do all your baking and whatnot here," Ace said thoughtfully. "All sorts of stuff here, too."

"It's like a mini kitchen!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"Uh huh…" Sherry murmured, looking at the station. Chrys glanced over at the pink haired girl. Sherry was again messing with the cube with a distant look on her face. She was worried.

"Come here," Chrys said suddenly, pulling Sherry away.

"Huh…? Hey, Chrys…!"

She stopped a short distance away and knelt in front of Sherry. "Why are you nervous?"

Sherry looked away. "I… maybe I shouldn't be here… All these other people are like, trained bakers…"

"Stop that," Chrys said harshly. "I will not stand here and let you doubt yourself."

"C-Chrys…?"

"I have watched you for some time now, Sherry. You are very good at what you do, and you love what you do. All you need to do is be yourself." She gave her a small smile. To be perfectly honest, she didn't know why she had suddenly gotten upset. Regardless, she felt the need to reassure the young girl. "Just do your best."

Sherry stared at her for a long moment. "I… right. Thank you, Chrys. You're… you're the best sister a girl could ask for."

The girl hugged the Changeling then, squeezing her tightly before going back over to her friends. She missed the extremely dumbfounded look on Chrys's face as she walked away. It wasn't until Tyr and Luna came up beside her that she finally snapped out of her shock. "You alright, Chrys?" Tyr asked, a little concerned.

"I… I believe I am alright, Master." Chrys straightened up. "I was simply giving Sherry some words of encouragement."

"That's kind of you," Luna pointed out, a smile on her face.

"Yes, well, let us go to the viewing area, shall we?" Chrys walked past them briskly, trying to keep her face as impassive as possible. It was a lot more difficult than she believed. Tyr and Luna followed after. They found the rest of their friends waiting in the viewing area, which was bleacher like seats along the walls.

"It's time for the second stage, ladies and gentlemen," An announcer came up to the front of the crowd carrying a microphone. "Each of our top ten finalists will prepare a dish using the ingredients provided. The top three will move on to the next round. They will have several hours to make whatever they want. That time starts… now!"

-x-

"Third place!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed. They were back in the hotel lobby, with an understandably excited group of kids. "I can't believe it, you're going to the next round!"

"She was awesome down there!" Pinkie exclaimed. "She was almost like a machine! You're not a machine, are you Sherry? Cause that would be even more awesome! A baking machine that's not a oven, or a—"

"That's enough, Pinkie dear," Rarity said. "I'm pretty sure Sherry herself is a bit overwhelmed by this herself!"

"I'm just… Surprised, is all," Sherry murmured. "I didn't think I'd get this far…"

"Now all that's left to do is go for the win!" Rainbow said, grinning widely.

"I still believe that as long as Sherry does her best, it will be alright," Luna said. "We don't need to pressure her into winning or anything like that."

Tyr glanced over at his daughter. She was smiling up at him. "Thanks for believing in me, dad."

"I told you, I'm always going to be here for you," He replied, leaning down to kiss her hair. The affectionate gesture got a giggle out of her.

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be really cool if she won?" Scootaloo had picked up on the same idea as Rainbow Dash, and her excitement was just as great. "I mean, she'd get all that money, AND be super famous!"

"It would be really really super-duper-licious awesome!" Pinkie squealed.

"Pinkie, are those even words?" Twilight asked. Pinkie simply giggled.

"They are in my dictionary!"

Scootaloo and Applebloom snickered at that. Sweetie Bell shot them a dirty look, which only caused them to laugh louder. Sherry found herself smiling as well, until a sound caught her attention.

~Help~

She froze. It was the same voice as the last time, just as faint and soft as last time. She looked around slowly, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Yet again, no one had acted like they had heard the voice. Only Sherry had heard it. A shiver ran down her spine. Suddenly, a gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder. It was Fluttershy, a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright, Sherry?" She asked, the concern apparent in her voice.

"She looks like she saw a ghost," Flash pointed out.

"Are you okay, darling?" Rarity asked.

Applejack spoke up. "I reckon she's just tired. It's been a long day for her, hadn't it?"

"You tired, Sherry?" Tyr asked softly, looking into his daughter's eyes. She nodded slowly.

"Y-yeah… I guess the shock of today caught up to me, huh?" She chuckled weakly. "I'll just… head on up to our room and rest."

"Alright love. Sleep tight."

Sherry got up and headed to the elevator. She didn't want anyone to be worried about her, but this was the second time she had heard this voice in as many days. It was making her worry, and that was not something she needed right now. As she climbed into the elevator, she noticed a young girl and a couple boys already in there. She didn't know why, but the girl seemed familiar. "Um… excuse me," She murmured, sliding into the elevator.

The doors closed. The elevator had started moving before someone else spoke. It was the girl, a tall, skinny brunette with fierce gold eyes. "…You're that Equestrian girl, aren't you?"

Sherry looked over at her. All of the occupants of the elevator were looking at her now. "Um… have we met?"

"I'm Jeanine," The girl said. "I came in fifth place today."

That explained why Sherry recognized her. The field for the competition had been cut from ten to five today, with the top five moving on to the semi-finals. After that, the top two would go on to the final round. She frowned a bit at that revelation. "Oh, I remember now. Did you… did you want something?"

"Just wondering how I lost to an Equestrian."

The words were spoken with such vehemence that Sherry froze in surprise. "Uh… what?"

"You may have placed higher than me today, Equestrian, but you won't tomorrow." Jeanine smirked. "I saw those tarts you made. You really think you're going to win with stuff like that?"

"I was… just doing my best," Sherry said defensively. "I've made those tarts a dozen times before and people liked them."

"The judges aren't looking for things that people will _like_ , they're looking for stuff that will wow them. Remember what Uriel made?"

"That big cake with all the trimmings and stuff? It did look impressive…"

"He's going to win for sure," The girl said confidently. "But… I would rather I was the person coming in second."

The boys crowded closer, and suddenly the elevator felt way too small. Sherry backed into a corner, feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. However, it was short lived, relief flowing through her as the elevator doors slid open. "Oh, my, is there no room?" Celestia asked, frowning.

"I was just getting off," Sherry said hurriedly, getting out of the elevator and walking past the princess of the sun. She was surprised to see Chrys standing behind her, a barely disguised look of amusement on her face. "Chrys? How did you—"

"Go get some rest, Sherry," Chrys said with a mischievous smile. "I was on my way back down."

Celestia and Chrys got onto the elevator alongside Jeanine and her boys, the doors closing just as the girl in question realized the situation she was in.

-x-

"That's it, participants!" The announcer declared. "Step away from your plates!"

Sherry let out a deep breath and backed away. In front of her were four identical plates with slices of vanilla cream cake, topped with strawberries and glazed with oranges. She felt good about the cake, despite it being a recipe she had looked up the night before instead of her own creation. She glanced over to see Uriel putting just a couple finishing touches on a chocolate mousse. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought that Pinkie Pie was probably drooling at the mouth due to all the tasty treats. The boy, however, did not look as excited as Sherry was. He was looking at his creation like he had no pride in it, no joy.

"We will not have our usual panel of judges come out to judge today's creations," the announcer said. "Unfortunately, one of our judges could not make it today, so we have a substitute filling in for him. She is a certified professional baker, and a sweet savant. I'd like to introduce you all to Passion Bellatrix Striate!"

"Passion?" Sherry murmured, dumbfounded. Sure enough, the red and white haired girl came bouncing out alongside the other two judges, a bright smile on her face. They took seats at the judge's table.

"Oh, hi Sherry!" Passion said cheerily.

"How is this girl going to be a fair judge?" A boy behind Sherry asked.

"Bring yours up here," One of the other judges said. The boy picked up his plates of hot chocolate pudding and set one in front of Passion. The girl took a spoon and quickly took a small sip.

"Well? Best pudding you've ever tasted, huh?" The boy smiled triumphantly.

"This is done all wrong," Passion said, frowning. Her usual cheerful demeanor was gone, and her voice had taken a serious tone to it. "I see what you were going for, but the texture is all wrong. It's rough to the tongue, and the chocolate you used is way too heavy for this sort of thing. It's too thick, and weighs down on you."

The boy was dumbfounded. "What…? But you… you only took one taste…"

"You don't just walk up to a Striate with any kind of chocolate," Passion said with a smirk. "It better be the highest quality or don't bring it at all."

The other participants came forward, only to have their creations picked apart primarily by Passion. Jeanine seemed a bit more upset than the rest, getting more vocal until Passion told her that complaining never made anyone a better baker. She shut her mouth and wandered back to her station. "Well, at least I'm sure I did better than you," She murmured, passing by Sherry. The pink haired girl swallowed heavily. Uriel was called next, and Passion looked surprised upon eating his baked treat.

"Oh, this is really good!" Passion said excitedly. "Although… It just feels like something is missing. Can't put my finger on it, but it's something."

"What is missing?" The boy spoke up then, his voice quiet.

"I… I dunno." Passion shrugged. "I just feel something is missing."

"If you can't tell me what it is, it can't be important." Uriel said that, and turned on his heel to walk back to his place. Passion was left with a dumbfounded look on her face. She recovered quickly.

"Come on up, Sherry!" Passion said, motioning her over. With no other choice, Sherry took her cake up to the table. Passion eyed it with a smile. "Not chocolate?"

"I didn't know you'd be here, or that you liked it…"

"It's fine, silly! I'm just teasing!" Passion eagerly took a bite of cake. Sherry watched in a nervous silence as the girl chewed, and chewed, and chewed… and then swallowed. Sherry felt a chill roll down her spine as Passion frowned up at her. "You… used a recipe, didn't you?"

"I… found one that I wanted to do last night…"

"Oh." Passion sounded disappointed. "I had heard you liked to invent things on the fly. I was hoping you'd do that today. What happened?"

Sherry frowned and glanced behind her. Jeanine had a smug smirk on her face. "I just… I don't know."

"Well, you're lucky you've still got practical knowledge. Otherwise, I'd have to eliminate you." The matter-of-factness she spoke with froze Sherry with fear. She swallowed hard. The realization that such a simple mistake like not sticking to her usual way of cooking could have caused her to get kicked out of the competition frightened her.

The other judges nodded. "Uriel clearly has the grasp of wrote baking much better than you. Although he was professionally trained, you do have potential."

"You make it sound like you've made a decision on who's going to the final," Passion joked.

"I believe we do, mainly in part of your enlightening observations," The other judge said, nodding. "It seems to me that only Uriel and Sherry are worthy enough to move on to the last round."

There were a few startled gasps. Even Sherry found herself dumbfounded, as she had expected to be kicked out. But no, instead she was going on to the final? Wild cheering erupted from her friends and family behind her as they all celebrated her accomplishment. She turned back to look at Uriel, whose neutral expression had never wavered. However, now he was looking at her. Looking at her with an almost undisguisable look of frustration. She was in the way. His way. She faltered a bit, and then stared back with determination. She had come too far to lose now. Especially to someone who didn't even look like he enjoyed baking! The cube around her neck glowed softly, as if it approved.

"Well, I suppose we don't need to wait much longer!" The announcer suddenly said. All eyes went to him. "I've just received word that the final stage has been completed! And I say, what a better time to settle this final match than right now!?"

Sherry was stunned. Sure, she did want to finish the competition, but so soon? She barely had a chance to contemplate it when Uriel spoke. "…That's fine."

"Then it's fine with me too," Sherry said after a moment of thought.

"Each of you need to have a team of three others to help you," The announcer said. "You will be making a masterpiece, after all."

"That is no problem at all!" Uriel's parents suddenly appeared. Three white-clad men in chef's outfits arrayed themselves behind the young man. "Our dear Uriel will have none but the best!"

Sherry frowned. "Well… I'll just get my friends… where's Sweetie Bell?"

"Rarity went an dragged her off to do something or other," Applebloom said as she and Scootaloo came down.

"Are you sure you want us?" Scootaloo asked, a bit unsure. "I know Applebloom learned how to make stuff from her sis, but I'm not exactly a good cook myself…"

Sherry giggled. "You just have to follow my lead, and do what I tell you. You should be good at that because of Ace and Dash, right?"

"Yeah… hey!"

The girls giggled at that. As she recovered from her own joke, a shadow fell over them. Sherry looked up to find Chrys standing over her. "I would like to help, in her absence," Chrys said softly.

"Yeah, she should help!" Applebloom agreed. "She's like really tall!"

Chrys frowned. "I never really thought that hard about my height…"

"You're only shorter than dad," Sherry pointed out.

"I do believe Fluttershy is close to my height as well?"

The Announcer cleared his throat. "Well, if you have found your assistants, please follow me to the next hall."

The Announcer and the judges headed out, followed closely by Uriel and his team, plus his parents. Sherry and everyone else followed soon after. The next hall was set up with two large areas with large tables, giant ovens, and square feet of preparation space. It was any baker's dream kitchen. "Whoa…!" Pinkie breathed. "This. Is. AWESOME!"

"Try not to cause a scene, Pinkie," Twilight warned. "We don't want to get kicked out or anything like that."

"But this is so cool! We don't have ovens like that at SCC!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Uh… begging your pardon?"

"Sugar Cube Corner," Tyr said without missing a beat. "Sherry refers to it like that on occasion."

"Leave it to the Pink team," Rainbow said with a shake of her head.

"Hah! Pink team!" Pinkie giggled. "Sherry will love that!"

"Please quiet down," Twilight said. "They're getting ready to start."

"Each of the finalists will have several hours to work on this last masterpiece," the announcer was saying. "Once time expires, they will have their work examined one last time. You are allowed to use any ingredient you see, in as much quantities as you would like. The only restrictions are you are not allowed to use magic of any kind."

"Fair," Chrys murmured.

"Last but not least, you will need to impress the panel. Good luck! And your time starts… NOW!"

The two teams sprang into action, Uriel giving his three cooks quick and concise orders from off a written recipe. On the other side, Sherry took a moment to gather her thoughts. She had no idea what to make, and every second standing there thinking was a second that could have been spent preparing. Her friends stood before her, waiting expectantly. "What do we make?" Applebloom asked.

"I… I know. We can make a tier cake."

"A tear cake?" Scootaloo frowned. "Why would we make a crying cake?"

"No dummy," Applebloom snapped. "A _tier_ cake. Like, multiple levels and stuff?"

"Oh… that makes more sense."

"We should get started soon," Chrys murmured. "It seems that boy has already begun."

Sherry glanced over to see Uriel already setting a number of pans aside for his chefs to start prepping to cook. Whatever he was planning to make, it was going to be elaborate. And take a lot of chocolate. "L-let's not fall behind!"

Her teammates agreed, and they all went off to begin their work. The prep stage hardly took much time, and the first layer of the cake was readied without incident. But as time wore on, they were forced into proximity, and that's where the issues began to rise.

"Hey, watch it!" Scootaloo snapped, barely avoiding Applebloom. The pan she carried that would make up the second layer of their cake tipped slightly as she adjusted her path.

"Watch it yer self," the farm-girl snapped back, scowling. "Y'all are the one that needs to watch where the heck she's goin!"

"Yeah, and I'm not the one—" Scootaloo didn't get much further than that, as she walked right into Chrys's back. The Changeling had been in the middle of preparing a bowl of batter, and the bump from behind caused her to stumble forward, pushing the bowl off onto the floor. It spilled. Off balance, the pan of batter slid out of Scootaloo's hands, smacked into the side of a counter, and spun to the floor, scattering the contents against the counter in question and onto the floor. Sherry, turning to see what had happened, slipped in the growing puddle of cake batter and fell, reaching out for the only thing close to her—Applebloom. In one glorious moment, everything had gone wrong. If you had asked a bystander what they had witnessed, they would have told you they saw three young girls getting messy because of one slip up. If you had asked Pinkie Pie, she would have told you it was poetry in motion.

And the funniest thing she had seen all day.

"How in the world did you manage this?" Chrys asked, completely confused. The three batter-covered girls on the floor simply looked at each other. They sat in silence for a long time before Applebloom and Scootaloo broke out in grins.

"Tree sap," They both said, and fell out laughing.

"W-what?" Sherry looked dumbfounded. Everything had just fallen apart, and now they were laughing? It seemed Chrys could feel her confusion as well, a frown creasing her face.

"Why on earth are you two laughing?"

"It's just, too weird!" Scootaloo said between laughs.

"Yeah," Applebloom agreed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Back home, all the stuff we used to do to try and get our Cutie Marks usually ended up with us covered in tree sap and all sticky."

"Guess we can't get away from it even if we already got our marks," Scootaloo chuckled.

Applebloom turned to Sherry. She looked apologetic. "Sorry if we screwed up your chance to win, Sherry. We didn't mean ta."

"It's alright," Sherry said, shaking her head. She smiled. "We at least tried. That's what matters, right?"

"Hey!" Sweetie Bell came running over, some cloth folded in her arms. "Don't tell me its over!"

"Not exactly. There's about half of the time left…" Chrys said, frown deepening. She sighed, and let her gaze soften. "Well, in a sense. We have… sabotaged ourselves, it would seem."

Sweetie Bell raised an eyebrow at the girls. "…Tree sap?"

"You know it!" Scootaloo grinned.

"Well, I kinda wish I had gotten this to you earlier, but… here." Sweetie Bell held out the folded cloth. "I had Rarity help me make it."

"I don't think a towel is gonna help all that much," Applebloom pointed out.

"It's not a towel, it's a—

"An apron," Sherry said, unfolding it. It was a plain white, but it was the front of it that caught her attention. Arrayed all over the front were the Cutie Marks of all of her friends, from the CMC to Twilight and her friends. Emblazoned in the center, however, where the Marks of her father and Luna, plus a green emerald shape that must have stood in for Chrysalis. They were concentrated on the right side of it, where they would be over her heart. "Sweetie… this is…"

"I had the idea to make you something so you'd remember us all while you baked," Sweetie Bell said, smiling. "That no matter how alone you felt, we were all with you!"

"Sweetie Bell, this is… wonderful. It means so much to me that you would do this…" Sherry suddenly froze, the cube around her neck glowing with its violet light. "That's it!"

"Huh? What's it?"

"As your sister would say, I-DE-A!" Sherry grinned. She jumped to her feet, quickly tying the apron around her. "Ever heard of the saying 'greater than the sum of its parts'?"

"I think I heard Twilight saying that once…" Applebloom said.

"I have an idea," Sherry said. "We're not out of this yet."

"What do you propose we do?" Chrys asked, genuinely interested. The sudden surge of emotion from Sherry was startling to be sure, but she felt… different. As if she was getting into her element. The Changeling couldn't help herself from smiling. "Our previous efforts are on the floor."

"We still have a bit of the batter left, don't we?"

Applebloom jumped up and went over to where she had been. "Yeah, we do. None of mine got spilt."

"Okay. This is gonna sound pretty crazy, but I need you all to follow my instructions to the letter."

"Got it!"

"You got it, Boss!" Scootaloo chimed in.

"Just say the word," Chrys said.

She motioned them all together and began whispering to them in hushed tones. "You sure about that?" Scootaloo asked when she was finished. "I mean… it sounds risky."

"Afraid of a little danger, Scoots?" Applebloom taunted.

"Nuh uh! I'm like Rainbow Dash—my middle name is Danger!"

Chrys frowned. "I could have sworn Rainbow Dash's middle name as Gertrude, or something like that."

The sound of Ace laughing hysterically was only drowned out by the girl in question crying out. "Oh, thanks a LOT, Chrysalis!"

"Let's just get going," Scootaloo grumbled.

Revitalized, Sherry's group moved quickly. Uriel and his group had already begun assembling their seven layer cake, each layer made of a different flavor of chocolate. But that didn't deter Sherry. With the Rubrik glowing the whole way, she poured every last bit of herself into her creation, and when she was finished she was left with—

"…Muffins?" Even Chrys had to stare down at the fruits of their labor. A single tray of muffins sat between the four of them.

"It's all we could really make in time," Applebloom pointed out.

"Well, we tried," Scootaloo sighed. She glanced over at Sherry. "You gonna be okay?"

"I… I did my best," Sherry said after a long moment of thought. A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Chrys smiling down at her.

"That is all any of us wanted, little… sister." Chrys's smile grew as Sherry's eyes widened in shock.

"Chrys, you…!"

"And that's time!" The announcer cut off whatever Sherry was about to say. "Participants, please come forward." Uriel and Sherry came forward, the latter still trying to get most of the batter out of her hair. "Now, we did say you would be judged, but we have a special judge that will be doing this last examination. She is the owner of The Sweet Scene, the bakery the winning recipe will be premiered in. Let me introduce Isabel Ariana Striate!"

The applause was strange compared to the graceful entrance of the silver haired beauty. She smiled down at Sherry as she came forward. "My, you certainly got dirty," She said, laughing softly.

"Occupational hazard," Sherry replied smoothly, getting another laugh from the older woman.

"I do understand. I like a good mess every now and then." She smiled. "Now, both of you, do please remember that whichever recipe I choose I more than likely will be personally making. So I will not be choosing anything I myself would not want to eat or make."

"Understood," Uriel murmured. Sherry simply nodded.

"Well, let me not take too long. I believe I will start with young Uriah's first." Isabel moved over to the tall, seven layer cake, a little gleam of wonder in her eyes. "Now, this is quite impressive… I don't even know where to start. I only saw a cake larger than this during Chocapocalypse."

"Choca… what?" Sherry murmured. Isabel glanced over at her and laughed nervously.

"Let's just say… It wasn't the best of days." Isabel turned back to the massive cake. One of the cooks on Uriel's team came over and swiftly cut a slice out of each layer and set them onto a plate. "Thank you."

As Isabel slowly began to taste each slice of cake a small smile began to grow on her face. "Is it to your liking, miss?" The cook that had cut the cake for her spoke up.

"It is, although I have reason to believe you were catering to my sister when you made this." Isabel giggled daintily as the cook tried to stammer out a reply. "Oh no, its fine. I won't judge any differently for that. I love chocolate myself, anyway. It's a familial thing." She lowered the plate. "However… I suppose I can't just stand here enjoying myself. I have to actually judge, don't I?"

The silver haired woman looked thoughtful for a moment. "For all intents and purposes, this cake is perfect. Taste, texture, everything. In a practical sense, it is perfect. But still… it is missing something."

Uriel spoke up, his voice calm, yet cold. "If you can't tell me—"

"I would appreciate you not giving automatic replies," Isabel said smoothly, cutting him off. To his credit, the boy seemed taken aback by the quick response. His parents, however, rose up to defend him.

"You don't have any right to talk to our son in such a way!" His mother protested, only to be silenced by a red-eyed glare from Isabel.

"I know what is missing from your son's creations, Miss. Your son has no love for this. He lacks the desire to create, and innovate with his baking. He doesn't put himself into what he makes, just the ingredients."

"And what about the girl?" Uriel's father said. "All she made was muffins!"

Isabel didn't reply, instead simply going over to Sherry's tray of muffins. She picked one up, tore it in half, and took a bite. Her eyes widened in shock. "Hah!" Uriel's mother sounded triumphant. "Look at her face! It must taste terrible!"

"Hey, you stop that!" Pinkie jumped up from her seat, unable to stay quiet any longer. "That's my little friend down there, and she's the best baker I know! So you just stop being a meany pants and thinking your son is so much better than anyone else!"

"Meany…Why, I never…!"

"She has a point," Tyr said, eyes narrowed. "That's my daughter you're badmouthing, and I don't appreciate that."

"Please, everyone," Isabel spoke up finally. She had finished Sherry's muffin and was smiling fondly at the girl. "…I believe I have come to a decision. I'd like for the families of these two children to come down, please."

Uriel's parents came down, looking as proud as ever. Tyr rose to go to his daughter, only pausing to motion for Luna to come too. "What? But I am not…" Luna began.

"Don't be shy about it, M-mom," Sherry murmured, smiling nervously. "Just come on down."

Luna's eyes widened. She blushed ever so slightly. "…Very well." She got up and, with Tyr's support, made her way down to the main floor. They went over to stand beside Sherry and Chrys.

Isabel stood between the two groups. "Seems your family is as varied as mine," Isabel said with a chuckle. Sherry blushed.

"I'm… I'm adopted," She replied softly.

Isabel nodded, giving her a knowing smile. "I understand. But they love you, correct?"

"Of course we do," Luna said. Tyr and Chrys nodded in agreement.

"Can we hurry this up?" Uriel's father snapped.

"…Of course," Isabel said coldly. She thought for a moment, and motioned to Chrys. "Come here, please."

"Me…?" Chrys frowned, but obeyed. She went over to Isabel and leaned in so the silver-haired woman could whisper something into her ear. The expression on Chrys's face changed to shock, and then in an instant turned into one of resignation. She straightened up and walked back over to her family.

"What… what did she say?" Luna asked. Chrys didn't answer right away, instead glancing at Sherry with a truly remorseful look.

"She said… she told me that she apologizes…"

Sherry buried her face into her father's chest. She had wanted to win, but had thought it wouldn't be that bad if she lost. But now, knowing that she had lost… it hurt more than she thought. "…Sorry dad," She murmured.

"It's okay, sweetie. All I wanted was for you to do your best." Tyr hugged her tightly.

"I haven't finished!" Chrys complained, getting all of their attention once more. "She wanted to apologize… to _them_."

She pointed at Uriel's family, who stared at her in shock. "W-what?"

"She picked Sherry's entry, not his!" Chrys grinned. "She said it was the best thing she's eaten in years!"

Isabel came over, a small smile on her face. "I apologize for messing with you like that. I get it from my dad. I couldn't resist."

"I… I really…" Sherry was shocked. "I…"

"She won!" Scootaloo cried, leaping onto her friend. Sweetie Bell and Applebloom joined in as well, and then the four girls were laughing, cheering, and in Sherry's case, crying. Uriel's parents were incensed.

"How can you let this girl win? Our Uriel is clearly the better baker!"

"Not as I see it," Isabel said. "You can never be the best at something unless you truly enjoy it. Your son simply follows instructions. Sherry invents and creates. She has a creativity I haven't seen in someone since…" She trailed off. "Well, suffice it to say, she put her heart and soul into what she made. Your son has practicality, but no heart."

"But… she…!"

"On top of that," Isabel smirked, seeing the rest of Sherry's friends come streaming down to congratulate her, "She has quite the family supporting her."

As the mini celebratory party began, Tyr and Luna found themselves being embraced by Sherry again. The girl had somehow managed to get just the two of them in her arms, and was holding them pretty tightly. "Sherry?" Luna murmured softly.

"I… I wanted to thank you both. For believing in me." She held them a little tighter.

"You know we're always here for you, love," Tyr said, rubbing her hair fondly.

"And… um… Luna?"

Luna looked down at her. "Yes, Sherry?"

"Um… is it alright if I… um…"

Luna and Tyr shared a look. They both knew what Sherry wanted to ask. They gently pushed her out to arms-length. Luna smiled widely. "You are free to call me whatever you wish, Sherry. I would believe the time we have spent together allows for that much at least."

"Okay. Thanks… Mom."

The midnight princess pulled the girl into tight hug. "You are quite welcome… my daughter."

"Isn't that so sweet?" Fluttershy said with a giggle.

"Yeah, I reckon so," Applejack agreed with a chuckle.

"I guess, if you're into that sort of mushy stuff," Rainbow said with a snort.

"Yeah, mushy stuff," Scootaloo agreed, mimicking Rainbow. Ace simply rolled his eyes and pulled the two into a hug. "H-Hey!"

"Ace, what gives?"

"Oh, shut up and enjoy it," Ace said with a grin.

Rainbow blushed softly. "…Whatever."

"Nice to see everything turn out so well," Twilight said. She and Flash stood off to the side, arm in arm.

"Odd, isn't it?" Flash chuckled. "I half expected to be shot or at something while we were down here."

"I guess crises don't have to follow us wherever we go, huh?"

"I suppose not, Twi."

-x-

"I'm going to hazard a guess and say you're done in here?" Mercy said, walking into the room. Jehu was seated on a couch, lounging as he watched TV. Her husband looked up at her with a small smile on his face. It was infectious, and she found herself smiling as well.

"Yeah, I was just hanging out. You finished too? No trouble, right?"

Mercy sat down on the couch and snuggled up beside her husband. "Dear, we've been doing this for years. You think this is difficult?"

Jehu grinned. He put his arm around Mercy and kissed her forehead. "Nah. I know you can handle it."

"Mm."

"…So, who do you think won?"

"Sherry did, hands down."

"You sound confident."

"Because that girl has a gift," Mercy told him, wincing slightly as Jehu's hands brushed her cat ears. They twitched as he began gently massaging them. "Ooh, that feels good."

"I know," Jehu told her with a chuckle. "You think it's because of the Rubrik?"

"It only enhanced what was already there." If it bothered the raven-haired woman that Jehu was jumping around in conversations, she didn't show it. To be perfectly frank, Jehu had a tendency to do that with her anyway, so it was something she had grown used to.

"Fair point."

"So… what do we do now?" Mercy asked.

"We go get the girls and head home," Jehu shrugged. "No point in hanging around here. We've done what we meant to do. We gave them a rather uneventful week."

A noise from behind caught Mercy's attention. She glanced behind the couch. The eviscerated bodies of over a dozen Scarecrow members were scattered about the spacious apartment living room, with a couple live members chained to the ceiling. Several others were covered in what looked to be snake bites. "What… what are you freaks?" One of the survivors demanded in a shaky voice.

"Freaks, huh… That's one I haven't heard in a while." Jehu grinned up at the man, his violet eyes glowing with eldritch power, and his fangs prominent. "We're a nightmare you can't wake up from."

Mercy's green eyes were just as bright as she lovingly cuddled up to her husband. "And the evening is young, is it not?"

She sighed pleasurably as Jehu's fangs pierced her skin and he began to drink. It was only a momentary pleasure, and he drew back, licking the red from his lips. She almost seemed disappointed when he stopped. Jehu smiled darkly, his violet eyes tinged with red and a savage glee seemed to fill him. "I concur, my dearest. You all don't mind keeping us company for a little longer, do you?"

* * *

 **That's how I like my vampires.**

 **For all of you who thought something bad was going to happen to Sherry... Gotcha! Bwahahahaha!**

 **Anyways, my scheming to tug at your heartstrings aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a favorite, a comment, or a complaint, and the Library will 'try' to address them all.**

 _ **Bibliothecam accipit omnia.**_

 **The Library Accepts all. (Latin makes everything sound like, 20% cooler.)  
**

 **Auf Wiedersehen!**


	28. Chapter 27: Magic Trick

**Aha! I'm early today!**

 **First off, I'd like to welcome the new followers of the story. Hope you stick with the Library for the long haul.**

 **Second: No comments this week? Guess i didn't do anything overly amazing or overly bad. Middle road is always good, I suppose.**

 **Regardless, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 27: Magic Trick

"Again!" Shining Armor called out. The clang of metal on metal reverberated throughout the small yard that Celestia's guard was using for practice. The former Captain of the Guard was overseeing training today, at Celestia's request. He and his wife had rented an apartment in town in order to help out with the training regimen. At the center of the yard stood Ace and Tyr, both men sweating and panting lightly. Both were armed with their swords, Ace's shorter blade held in a reverse grip while Tyr held his in a two handed stance. At Armor's command, they charged one another, blades dancing in a deadly display. The other guards, located around the yard, cheered them on.

"It certainly is an interesting feeling watching two men fight with blades," Celestia murmured. She, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight sat together at a small table, watching the proceedings.

"Are they safe using real weapons?" Twilight asked, a little concerned.

"Tia enchanted the blades so that they can't cut," Luna explained. "At most, they'd just have some bruises."

"Which would be no cinch to heal!" Cadance pointed out. "Besides, they're getting better day by day. I doubt they'd get hurt that easily."

Luna looked over at the two duelists. Cadance was right, the four knights had been constantly training for the past two months. Tyr's swordsmanship had improved in leaps and bounds, and he had passed his marksmanship skills over to the other three as well. The other guards were improving as well, but the four Knights stood above them in every skill.

Barely any incidents had happened in the town, and the emotions of the townsfolk had cooled greatly. Many people were even stopping in the streets to speak to Luna, and a few even congratulated her on her pregnancy. It was peaceful.

A grunt from the yard drew her attention back, and she spotted Tyr pinning Ace to the ground, blade angled next to his throat. "I give," Ace said with a grunt. Tyr smirked and jumped back up to his feet, extending a hand to help his friend up. Ace took it, letting the taller man pull him to his feet. "Jeez. You sure you weren't some sort of sword master in a past life?"

Tyr chuckled. "Not as far as I know."

"Good work, you two," Grace said, coming over. She handed both of them towels with which to wipe themselves off. "Tyr, you're a natural."

"And I've got actual swordsmanship training," Ace joked, tossing the towel over his head. "But seriously Tyr, you're a fast learner."

"I'm a quick study, to be honest," Tyr admitted.

"And I'm still grasping the basics," Grace said with a sigh, looking down to the rapier on her waist. Out of the four of them, only Grace was falling behind with her weapon training. She had the lowest accuracy, and her skill with a blade was lacking. Despite that, she was more focused on her healing magic, able to project her healing aura to any wound as long as she could see it. She was the best healer out of the entire group, and yet she still felt inferior to the others.

"Hey, you're doing fine," Flash said, coming over. His longsword was strapped in a special sheath that he wore on his back, handle out far enough for ease of use. "It's our fault for giving you a weapon we can't train you in."

"Well… I prefer it, to be honest. This way, I can hit precisely what I want. Plus, puncture wounds are harder to treat than slash wounds."

"There's that medical know-how," Ace said with a grin, tossing an arm around Grace. "Although I thought doctors took that hippo oath thing."

"Hippocratic oath?" Tyr corrected.

"I was never a doctor," Grace pointed out. "So I never took it."

"Hey, Tyr!" Armor called. "Time for your lesson."

Tyr nodded up at him. Since he was still learning how to use his magic, he had asked for magic lessons from Twilight and Shining Armor. Twilight had been more than eager.

"Coming!" The violet haired girl jumped to her feet, only to have Cadance stop her. "Huh? What is it?"

"How about I practice with him today?" Cadance asked.

"You, Cadance? But…"

"What, you think I can't handle him? I was an Alicorn too, ya know."

"If she wants to, I don't mind," Tyr said. He sheathed Fenrir in the custom sheath Vanna had made for him. It had an opening shaped like a wolf's open maw, and runic designs adorned the sheath. He moved to the center of the yard.

"See? You've gotten to train him for almost two and a half months."

"Fine!" Twilight sat back down, frowning.

Cadance used her wings to float over to the yard, taking a place in front of Tyr. "Don't go easy on me, alright? Just cause I'm the Princess of Love doesn't mean I can't fight."

Tyr handed his sword to Grace, who took it with her as she moved away. "As long as you afford me the same courtesy, Princess."

"Of course!"

Tyr called his magic to him, the argent glow engulfing both his arms. Cadance did the same, her magic a very light blue. Armor cleared his throat. "Begin when ready!"

Cadance wasted no time. She flung her arms forward, a beam of light blue lancing out towards Tyr. His response was instant, wordlessly summoning a shield bearing soldier to deflect the attack. "Well done," She said, smiling. "You've gotten quick on the draw."

"Practice makes perfect," Tyr replied.

"Then, I'll make this a practice session to remember." Cadance's eyes glowed with power, as she rose slightly in the air. Her entire body glowed with magical power as her wings extended wide.

"W-what is she doing?" Grace asked, a little panicked.

"She's releasing the limits on her magic," Luna said softly. "Whenever an Alicorn wishes to use their full magical potential, it causes our eyes to glow like that. Cadance is planning on not holding back."

"Shining Armor," Celestia called. "Place a barrier around the yard so that they don't cause any damage. And Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis, perched in a nearby tree, stirred from her semi-nap to glance over. "Yes?"

"Could you place an illusion spell around the barrier so that no one outside would be able to see what is going on?"

"Very well."

Armor's magic lit up, a light pink similar to his sister's magic aura. A translucent pink bubble surrounded the yard for a moment before fading away. The only indication that Chrys had done anything was the green glow about her hands. "You may continue!" Celestia called out.

Blue magical energy seared across the ground towards Tyr, forcing him to dive aside. He tucked, rolled, and got to his feet, sending a trio of silver soldiers armed with lances charging at Cadance. The empowered woman blew them away with a sweep of her hand, using the other to send orbs of magic hurtling towards him. Tyr responded easily, covering himself in his Turtle formation. "You can't stay on the defensive in a magical duel," Cadance warned him. "You always use more magical energy to defend instead of attack!"

"Then I'll shift to the attack," Tyr murmured. A matrix made of his argent magic formed around his right arm. With a simple flex of his hand, the matrix whirled and the outline of the shield on his hand glowed. "Escalating engagement."

"What… what is that matrix?" Twilight asked, leaning forward. "I've never seen him do that…"

"I taught him that," Chrys said with pride. "I informed Master that in order to utilize his magic more efficiently, he needed something to focus it, make it easier to wield. So since his proficiency comes from creating his soldiers…"

"It's like he's using that to recall designs at a glance," Luna murmured.

"He is. Think of it like a computer: he saved designs in a file and is accessing them now."

"Sounds complicated," Dash murmured, dropping down behind Ace and hanging her arms around him. Twilight glared at her.

"Of course you'd think it was complicated. Well, I suppose figuring out how to layer the proper lattices and spell weaves…"

"Yeah. Totally complicated."

"Here I come!" Cadance sang out, magic gathering. But before she could strike, Tyr dismissed his turtle, and flung his arm up. Almost two dozen mounted soldiers materialized and thundered towards Cadance, lances lowered. She pushed herself out the way using her wings, and sent another blast of magic at Tyr. He dodged it, and sent another wave of cavalry, backed up by a sudden charge of spearmen. In the space of a few seconds, he had taken the momentum and was on the attack. Before one attack finished, the next was already charging in.

Cadance blasted another cavalry charge aside, blocking a squad of swordsmen from bearing down on her with a quick barrier. But Tyr's construct soldiers were coming in from every angle, forcing her to keep on defense instead of offense. But Cadance had never liked to be on the receiving end. With a loud roar, she expended her magic in all directions, sweeping Tyr's constructed army away in a rush of blue and silver. "You're not going to overwhelm me that easily, Tyr!" She declared.

"Fair enough," Tyr said with a sigh. The matrix around his arm grew in size. "Escalating Engagement, Second Stage! Siegeworks!"

To the shock of everyone watching, Tyr's magical aura expanded, spiraled up around him, and then a quartet of catapults materialized behind him, along with more squads of soldiers. As Tyr pushed his magic further, it was if he was leading an army. Cadance's eyes widened in surprise as Tyr gave the order. "Fire."

Huge silver stones came hurtling across the yard, kicking up huge piles of dirt as they impacted the ground around the Princess of Love. She rushed forward seeking to close the distance, but found lances shoved in her face. She sent her magic slashing left and right, but Tyr had reserves, with even the catapults flinging a constant barrage. But she was indomitable, smashing her way through the constructs with furious bolts of magic. She tore through a phalanx of spearmen with a blast of blue light, sending the constructs flying. The ground around her was pitted with craters, and dust from the blasts and impacts was slowly gathering. "He can't win like this," Shining pointed out.

"Why not?" Luna asked. Shining glanced back at her.

"Well, no offense to Tyr, but Cady and I trained specifically to fight large numbers of opponents."

"Why would you…" Twilight began, but almost immediately, she realized why. The first time Cadance had needed to fight, she had to fight…

"You practiced strategies to fight Changelings," Chrys said, looking over. "Oh, I'm flattered."

"Better safe than sorry," Shining pointed out. "We couldn't be certain if you would invade again."

"…Fair enough."

"So Tyr's ability to make constructs is working against him?" Twilight asked. She frowned. Cadance was working herself into a groove, almost dancing her way through Tyr's onslaught. She was moving closer and closer to the man.

"You misunderstand Tyr's actions," Chrys said, with a small smile. "My Changelings would have swarmed her, tried to overwhelm her with numbers. What my master is doing is deliberate."

"How so?" Celestia asked.

"I believe it will be made apparent momentarily. Do not forget the name of Tyr's sword."

"Fenrir, the most powerful of all wolves…" Twilight murmured. She glanced back at the battlefield. "Wait… that dust…"

Chrys's grin grew. "Now you see it."

The dust cloud had grown so large that it was almost impossible to see. Cadance looked around, confusion giving way to understanding. Tyr hadn't been aiming directly at her. He had wanted to build up a smoke cloud so that he could obscure his movement. She couldn't help but smile. "Looks like you've outmaneuvered me, Tyr."

In reply, there was only the loud howl of a wolf. Before Cadance could properly register the sound, a silver wolf leapt out of the dust at her, fangs bared. She barely managed to dodge it before another attacks. As she continued to fight off the wolves, their attacks came faster and faster. The Princess of Love grimaced, knowing her practice fighting large numbers would do nothing if she couldn't see. With that in mind, she gathered her magic together, forming a barrier around herself. With a thought, she pushed it outwards, blowing away all of the dust and removing the sight restriction. The sight that greeted her made her blood ran cold. The open space of the yard was full of silver wolves, with Tyr standing amongst them, Fenrir drawn. Grace looked shocked that he had somehow gotten the blade from her. "Ho… how did he…?"

"Wolves always travel in packs," Tyr said, smiling. "And this one doesn't need me to focus on it."

Cadance looked to the sword in his hands. The blade was glowing a soft argent color. She looked back to Tyr, a small smile on her face. "I'm not going to go down that easy."

"I know," Tyr said, grinning. He lowered the blade, one of the nearby wolves catching it in its mouth. He created a new sword, one made of his magic. "But you will go down."

Blue magic flared up, scattering the closest wolves. Cadance used the opening to fly straight for Tyr, magic lashing out towards him. Tyr dropped low, dashing forward as the pack of wolves howled to signal their charge. Cadance mirrored him, sending her magic jumping forward in a bolt to strike him. Tyr's magic blade deflected the attack, slashing through it like it was paper. With an unspoken command, a trio of wolves broke away from the main pack and went wide, flanking in on the charging princess. They didn't get far, as Cadance easily directed her flow of magic to sweep them away. But before she could fully redirect her attention, Tyr was in front of her, blade arcing towards her. She blocked it with a quickly made shield of her own magic that cracked under the attack. She pushed him off, only to have a magic wolf clamp down on her arm with its fangs. There was no pain, only a sudden numbness coming from her arm. She grinned, knowing that Tyr was using his magic to tire her instead of wound. How kind. But she was about to end their little match. Tearing free of the wolves upon her, she closed the distance between herself and the human knight in a flash, using the teleportation spell she had learned from Twilight. To his credit, Tyr managed to keep a straight face as she suddenly appeared only an inch away from him. In the span of an instant, Cadance felt a chill run down her spine. There was a darkness in the back of Tyr's eyes, behind the dark look of a man who had killed before and doing his best to not do it now. She shook away the thought, and pushed him down, magic flaring up as she drew her arm back. "Yield," She hissed, pinning him. All she got for her trouble was an amused chuckle.

"I should be telling you that."

"What?" Cadance, confused, drew back a bit. That's when her senses became aware of the sharp point of a blade situated a centimeter from her throat. She turned carefully, catching sight of the wolf Tyr had given his sword to, standing beside her with the blade aimed at her neck. "…How?"

"When you have a lot of wolves running around, it's hard to notice the one simply _walking_."

"You're a clever man, Tyr."

"In my previous profession, preparedness meant life or death," Tyr pointed out. "Plus, I had an eccentric grandfather."

"I see. Well, I should get up before Shiny gets the wrong idea."

The wolf with the sword moved back, letting Cadance get up easily. Tyr rose as well, retrieving his blade before dismissing the pack. Silence held the yard for a long minute before Grace broke it. "That was… impressive, Princess Cadance, Tyr."

There was applause, as the rest of the guards gave their opinion on the sparring match. Celestia clapped her hands lightly. "That was quite the impressive display, you two," She said softly.

"I don't think I've fought like that for a while," Cadance said with a chuckle. She glanced over at Tyr. "We should do this again sometime."

Tyr grinned. "Sounds fun."

Chrys was laughing from her perch in the tree. "It seems my Master has bested your wife, Shining Armor!"

"So he managed it once," Shining said, blushing ever so slightly. "Big deal."

"Next he'll be defeating you in swordplay!"

"That wouldn't be so difficult," Cadance said, coming over. She took a towel from a side table and wiped off her forehead. "Shiny always preferred the lance."

"Sounds like an unfair match," Luna murmured, eyes never leaving Tyr as he came over to their table. The training in the yard resumed just as he moved over to his fiancé, leaning over to kiss her. She returned the gesture eagerly, lingering just a moment before scrunching up her nose at him. "…You stink, beloved."

Tyr flinched back, faking injury. "Ouch."

"It is to be expected," Celestia said with a giggle. "But I am not surprised embracing your future wife when you smell of sweat is not pleasant."

"Well, I can't really help it," Tyr protested.

Chrys spoke up. "Master. You have business."

Everyone looked up at the Changeling, who was in the process of lowering Tyr's phone from her ear. "Someone called?" Tyr asked. He had left his phone with Chrys so that it wouldn't get damage while he sparred.

"Yes. Her name was… Lyra Heartstrings." Chrys chuckled. "I believe she was quite surprised to hear my voice."

"I'm not surprised," Tyr said, getting his phone back from her. He turned back to the others at the table. "I guess I'll run home, take a shower, and then head over there. That alright with you, Princess?"

"I will be fine, beloved," Luna assured him. "Do not worry."

"You won't be lonely?" Chrys teased, but a sharp look from Luna caused her to cut off and start giggling.

"Be good, Chrissy, I'm leaving you here with her," Tyr pointed out.

Chrys looked upset. "But… Master…"

"Although we have welcomed your presence amongst us, others may not be so quick to accept you," Celestia pointed out.

"But…! But it's been almost four months…" Chrys was almost whining, and Tyr rolled his eyes. He motioned slightly, and the Changeling leapt from the tree, landing close to him while using her wings to lighten her landing. She almost eagerly leaned into the loving touch he placed on her cheek. She sighed as the comforting thoughts he had become even clearer through their physical contact. […You know I love you dearly, Master, and that separation makes me miss you all the more]

[I'm well aware,] Tyr thought back with a chuckle. [I love you too, but I'm doing this so you don't get hurt]

[…Very well. I almost envy Luna for being the one to marry you]

[Maybe if we had met sooner, it would have gone differently]

[You know… I do not believe I would have liked that]

[Oh?]

[Because my life with you and Luna is much more fulfilling.] Tyr was caught off guard by the honest answer, but his shock gave way to genuine fondness.

[Thank you for that]

Chrys smiled at him. [Of course, Master.]

"You know," Cadance murmured, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you two were having an intimate moment."

"Do not worry yourself," Chrys said, handing Tyr back his cell phone before returning to her perch in the tree. "I am wholly devoted to my Master, and my Mistress. I would never attempt to come between them."

All eyes went to Luna. Before anyone had the opportunity to ask a question, the Princess of the Night snapped a reply almost automatically. "Then if that one night has made me your Mistress, then I command you to be silent."

Chrys opened her mouth to reply, before simply closing her mouth and nodding. […As she wishes]

Tyr shook his head. "…Be good, you two."

Chrys nodded. Luna smiled over at him. "I will see you soon, beloved."

"Night willing," Tyr said, using Luna's normal parting blessing. He gathered up his belongings, hooked Fenrir onto his back, and left the compound Celestia had gotten for herself as a base for the Royal Guard. It was a spacious building, but empty since all the guards did not stay there. Most of them had their own families. All except Grace, Tyr thought as he climbed into his truck. As far as he knew, the girl lived alone. Hm. He'd have to ask about that one day.

He drove back to his home, showering quickly. The only one in the house was Snow, and the not-so-little kitten was asleep on the couch. He gently stroked the kitten once he was out of the shower, eliciting a soft purr. He got dressed, gathered his things, and drove out to the apartment complex where he had previously met the musician. As he pulled up in front of it, he noticed a large number of things were set out of the front in a big pile. "Guess someone's moving out… or in," He murmured to himself. He wasn't much of a rubbernecker, so he quickly headed up and into the complex. It didn't take long for him to find the apartment he had gone to so long ago. He gave the door three sharp knocks. There was the sound of shuffling feet, and then suddenly the door opened. Lucky for Tyr, the woman answering the door was completely clothed.

It didn't seem to help Lyra all that much.

The woman blushed furiously upon seeing him at the door. "T-Tyr? I wasn't expecting you so soon…"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. Lyra was dressed in a casual suit, with her hair tied back into a bun. She looked a lot more professional than the last time he had met her. "Am I… interrupting anything?"

"Ah… no. Please, come in." She moved aside to let the man enter. It was a bit tidier than he remembered, and he was mildly surprised to see Octavia at the kitchen table. She looked up as he came in.

"Oh, hello again, Tyr. I suppose you're here to fix our dishwasher?"

"That's what broke?" Tyr asked, glancing over at Lyra. She nodded.

"Vinyl overwhelmed it," Octavia said with a sigh. "I asked Lyra to call you."

Tyr nodded wordlessly. He moved over to the dishwasher and began working at the door. It came off without difficulty. Lyra came over to see what he was doing while Octavia went back to reading. "Um… Tyr?"

"Yeah?" Tyr asked, leaning into the inside of the dishwasher. He needed to get into the guts of the thing, so he began unscrewing the inside panels.

"I wanted to… um… apologize for my behavior the last time you were here."

"Your… behavior…?" Tyr frowned. He remembered Lyra making a lot of dirty comments and jokes the last time she was here. She was nothing like that now. "Now that you bring it up, you're a lot different now than you were then."

"She was drunk when you first met her," Octavia pointed out. Lyra's blush deepened.

"Oh… well, that explains a lot."

"I regret everything I said back then," Lyra said solemnly. "I really hope I didn't offend you."

"To be honest, it was kinda funny," Tyr said with a short laugh. "It was just… I don't get hit on often."

Both girls paused at that. "Is that true?" Octavia asked. "It seems to me you'd be working harder to keep them away."

"Or beating them off with a stick," Lyra said. "I mean, I was crude when I said it, but you are pretty handsome."

Tyr smiled. "I appreciate the thought, but no, actually."

"Hm… I guess it's because anyone can see that you're really devoted to Princess Luna."

"I suppose that's fair."

"You… you really love her, huh?"

Tyr paused in his work. He moved out of the dishwasher and sat up, looking at Lyra. The lyrist was frowning and looking away, although Octavia was also looking at her. "…Why are you afraid of Luna?"

"It's not that I'm afraid of Luna," Lyra began, speaking slowly and choosing each word carefully. "I'm afraid of what she was."

"What she was?"

"I'm almost certain you'd have to have heard. Luna was formerly the Mare in the Moon, or Nightmare Moon. She tried to bring eternal night to Equestria. Scared the hell out of all of us."

"It was pretty terrifying," Octavia added. "Although Twilight and her friends dealt with the issue pretty handily."

"But what if Nightmare Moon wasn't gone?" Lyra pointed out. "People say that the darkness was only banished, that it could still come back…"

"I don't think this is a proper conversation to be having, Lyra," Octavia warned, but it was a bit too late.

"…Are you that scared of her?" Tyr asked softly. Lyra frowned.

"Not like how she is now, but… what she was still terrifies me."

Tyr sighed. In the time he had come to know more about Luna, he knew that the quiet princess simply wanted to be appreciated and loved. Being feared depressed her.. "Lyra. I can appreciate your fears, but Luna is no more a threat to you than she is to my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" Octavia asked, grateful for the conversation change.

"Yes, her name is Sherry."

"Oh, I heard that name! I was having dinner with a friend of mine at a nice restaurant a week or two ago. It was the… 'Taste of Home' dessert, wasn't it?"

Tyr chuckled softly as he remembered the name Sherry had given her last minute winning entry to the competition. "Yeah, that's it. Did you like it?"

"It was delicious." Octavia smiled softly, remembering. "Oh, it was certainly divine…"

"Who did you meet?" Lyra asked, genuinely curious.

"You know him, Lyra. It was Silver Strings."

"Oh, I remember him! How is he?"

"Good, just…" Octavia frowned, remembering something unpleasant.

Tyr raised an eyebrow, a little confused. "What happened, Octavia?"

Octavia smiled over at him. "Call me Tavi, please. And Silver offered to… how did he put it… make a proper lady of me."

"A proper lady?" Lyra snorted. "What, does he think just because you aren't gloriously opulent, you're not a proper lady?"

"I don't think that's what he meant," Octavia said. Lyra caught on and shook her head.

"…Ew."

"See, that's just not polite," Tyr muttered, sliding back into the dishwasher. Octavia nodded in agreement.

"I told him as much. He told me it would not do for a woman of my caliber to stay single for very long."

"You fixed that line of thinking, right?" Lyra asked eagerly.

"Of course."

"You're in a relationship?" Tyr asked, a little surprised. From his first assessment of Octavia, he didn't see her as someone who put stock in relationships. He tilted up a bit just in time to see Octavia nod.

"In fact, I'm already married."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, in fact—"

"We're home!" The front door opened up and in walked Vinyl and Bon-Bon. The former went directly over to Octavia and moved behind her, arms slipping around her neck. "Miss me, Tavi?"

"The apartment is much quieter when you're not here, wubzy." Octavia smiled just slightly at the sudden display of affection, reaching up to rub a hand across Vinyl's arm. She glanced over at Tyr, whose expression of surprise wasn't as pronounced as she had imagined. "What, did you guess it?"

"I think 'wubzy' gave it away," Tyr joked.

"Guess what?" Vinyl glanced over at Tyr. "Oh, hey Tyr! I didn't even see you there, man!"

"I'm a quiet worker," Tyr said, noticing the matching rings on Vinyl's and Octavia's fingers. Guess two girls being together wasn't too uncommon for Equestrians. Or at least they had gotten married here in this world. He vaguely remembered Ace complaining about a female dominated society. "And to be honest, same-sex relationships don't surprise me as much as they used to. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if I'm a magnet for them." He slid the panels on the inside of the dishwasher back into place, his work finished. With the addition of Octavia and Vinyl, that made what, three of these relationships?

"Are you done?" Lyra asked. When he nodded, she turned around. "My purse was around here somewhere…"

"I got it," Octavia said. She handed Tyr a check she had already written. She must have been writing it while he was working. Lyra seemed a bit surprised, but didn't say anything. Tyr figured this sort of thing was common.

"Thanks," He said, taking it from her.

"It kind of was Vinyl's fault it broke anyway."

"Not my fault," Vinyl protested. The girls all broke out into a laugh, and even Tyr found himself smiling. He might have to hang out with them a bit more often. For now though, he had to be leaving, and he let them know. Vinyl and Bon-Bon were noticeably upset, mainly because they had just got there. But after Tyr promised to stop by sometime with Sweetie Bell, they relented. It was almost transitioning into evening as he made it outside, and he as greeted with another confusing situation. The owner of the apartment building was standing outside, in the middle of a heated argument with an Equestrian girl with light blue hair that bordered on white. She was extremely distraught, and the reason for that became obvious in moments.

"But you can't put Trixie out!" The girl protested. "I have nowhere else to go!"

"Not my problem if you can't pay the rent," The man said gruffly. "Can't pay, I got to kick you out."

"Please, just give Trixie time! I can get the money…!"

"Too late for that. I've given you a number of extensions, but you always come up short. Hate doing this to ya, lady, but that's how life is." He turned and went back into the building, leaving the upset woman to fall to her knees on the ground. Tyr could hear her quietly sobbing.

"Why must Trixie have such horrible luck…?"

Tyr let her be for a moment, but his inner chivalry wouldn't let him just leave the girl there. He moved over to where she was, standing quietly for just a moment before speaking. "Um… hey. Trixie. You alright?"

"Trixie does not need your pity!"

"I'm not trying to pity you. I simply wanted to see if I could help you."

Trixie looked up at him, her light violet eyes shining with tears. Despite the pitiful state she was in, Tyr couldn't say the girl wasn't pretty. Upon further inspection, her hair was bluish white instead of just white. It gave her a mystical look. "…Truly? You are not, as they say, pulling my leg?"

"Not at all, Trixie."

"…How do you know Trixie's name?" Tyr and the girl stared at each other for a long time. After a bit of thought, Trixie understood. "Ah… right. Trixie apologizes."

"So… about that whole third person thing…"

"Third person… ah. Trixie… er… I apologize. I am… was a performer, and I would always do it on stage. You get used to that sort of thing after a while."

"Makes sense. So, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Unless you have some massive house with multiple guest rooms, then I doubt it."

Tyr smirked. "I live in a castle. I think we have somewhere around ten extra bedrooms?"

Trixie's head snapped back around at his words. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You're joking."

"If you don't believe me, I can simply show you."

"I… very well. I do not have much of a choice."

She sounded tired, Tyr noticed. Like she had been working so hard and for such a long time, and now she really doesn't see much good in her current situation. On top of that… her voice reminded Tyr of Chrys when she first began living with him and Luna and Sherry. Lonely. He figured he could at least be somewhat friendly. "You always have a choice. I'm just offering to help out."

"…then I will take you up on your offer." Tyr held out a hand to help her up, and she accepted it. She glanced over at her belongings. "But how will we transport all of Trixie's belongings?"

"I have a truck," Tyr said. He gestured over his shoulder.

"Ah, that will do just fine."

It didn't take much for Tyr to load up Trixie's things into the back of his truck. He noticed Trixie's Cutie Mark on the back of her hand as she neatly used her magic to lift her things. It was a wand with a star tip, trailing a path of stars. With her things packed up, the two of them got into the truck and drove off. Trixie was quiet for most of the drive, content to simply look out the window. After a few minutes, she finally asked a question.

"I don't think I ever got your name."

"Oh? Sorry about that. I'm Tyr."

Trixie frowned. "An unusual name."

"Speaking of which, you have the closest to a human name out of most of the Equestrians I have met."

"I suppose that is fair. Lulamoon does sound like a last name."

"…Lulamoon?"

"Do not laugh at Trixie!"

"I wasn't going to, but now I am!" Tyr began laughing, getting a deep blush from Trixie.

"Oh, you insufferable man! If it wasn't for your kindness…!" She trailed off, the threat she had wanted to say dying on her lips. Almost forlornly, she repeated the last word. "…Kindness."

"What's wrong?"

"Trixie has very little experience with kindness," Trixie muttered. "To be perfectly honest, you would be the first person to truly show me any kindness after Trixie ended up in this world. Although it would be Trixie's fair due, after all I have done…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Trixie was not the… nicest pony to ever grace Equestria. I created false stories about myself in order to make people fear me, and admire me. I told a lot of lies…" She sighed. "I made a fool out of myself on several occasions. It took Twilight and her friends to put me in my place."

"Did you ever apologize?"

"Yes, but… Trixie does not know if she was ever forgiven."

Tyr frowned. "Did you ever ask?"

"…No."

"Hm. Well, I happen to be friends with Twilight and the others. I could always help you talk to them."

"You… you would do that for Trixie?"

"Sure."

Trixie stared at him for a long moment before looking back out the window. "…I do not deserve your kindness."

"You wanted a friend, right? So let me be the first."

"You are…" She paused momentarily before chuckling softly. "You are a very nice person. Trixie would be glad to have you as a friend."

"Just no lies, alright?"

"Trixie agrees."

They pulled up in front of Tyr's home. He noticed a familiar car parked in the driveway, most likely belonging to Celestia. "Seems Tia brought them home…" He murmured softly to himself. He glanced back at Trixie, her eyes glued to the window.

"You… you were not joking at all, were you? You really DO live in a castle!"

He suppressed a small laugh. "Just grab your stuff. I need to see who's home."

"You live with others?"

"Yeah, my fiancé, my daughter, and my… er. My Changeling."

"I had not expected you to be engaged," Trixie murmured, getting out of the truck. She paused. "…Your Changeling?"

"You'll meet her in a minute," Tyr said with a smile. He felt the familiar gentleness of Chrys's thoughts on his mind. She was aware of him being home, and that he was bringing someone with him. "And what, didn't think someone like me would be looking to get married?"

"Well, you did just bring home a woman I have not met yet," A gentle, yet stern voice said. Tyr and Trixie looked up to find Luna coming from the front of the house. She had a small frown on her face.

Trixie looked a little worried. "P-Princess Luna? Trixie… Trixie did not…"

"You know you can't fake being mad at me with Chrys nearby," Tyr said with a small smile. Luna simply sighed and let a smile appear on her face.

"I suppose that is a fair point. Come inside, both of you."

Trixie moved to gather her things, but a powerful blue glow enveloped them and carried them to the house. She turned to see Luna moving her things with her magic, the Princess not even showing the slightest bit of strain. Guess there was much merit to the Alicorns being considered the most powerful beings in Equestria. Sitting in the living room were Chrys, Celestia, and Sherry, and all three of them looked up as the others entered. "Dad's home!" Sherry cheered, going over to her father and embracing her. Tyr embraced the girl back, squeezing her tightly.

"So you're the one who Master wished to help," Chrys murmured, looking over Trixie. She frowned slightly. "…I sense shattered pride in you."

"Ah, I recognize you," Celestia said. "You must be Trixie Lulamoon. Twilight spoke of you in a letter."

At the mention of Twilight's name, Trixie winced. "She… Trixie assumes she did not speak too fondly."

"She was… forgiving," Celestia said honestly. "But that is a matter you will have to bring up with my student. What brings you to Tyr's home?"

"I came across her being kicked out of her apartment building," Tyr explained, sitting on the couch. He set Fenrir against the side of the couch. Luna sat beside him, sliding into her favored spot against his side. "And since we have quite a few extra rooms here, I offered her a place to stay."

"Such a kind gesture," Chrys said with a small laugh. "It seems Fluttershy and Rarity are rubbing off of you!"

"In fact, perhaps Tyr is some aspect of all the Elements combined," Celestia said thoughtfully. "He is kind like Fluttershy, loyal like Rainbow Dash, honest like Applejack, generous like Rarity, and knows how to laugh like Pinkie."

Trixie frowned. She was about to ask about Twilight's element, the Element of Magic, but Tyr spoke up before she could. "I mean, those are all qualities a person can grow up with, right?" He said with a chuckle.

"True enough," Luna agreed. "I suppose it is easier to see such qualities in you since you are close to those who embody them."

"Daddy's just awesome in his own way," Sherry giggled, earning a kiss on the forehead from her father.

"Aren't you just the sweetest," Tyr chuckled. "Now, come on. It's been a long day, so you should get some sleep."

"Fine…" Sherry groaned, but giggled good naturedly. She and her father went upstairs.

Luna glanced over at Trixie. The girl was sitting quietly, not wanting to jeopardize her position. "You need not worry, Trixie. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I would not refuse you that hospitality."

"Thank you, Princess Luna," Trixie said.

"But do realize this," Luna said softly, although her voice had taken on a dangerous tone. "I may be gracious enough to allow you to stay here, but overstep your bounds and I _will_ remove you."

Trixie swallowed hard. Luna's eyes were cold, her point clear. Celestia was looking out the window, her silence signaling her agreement. Chrys's face bore a look of plain amusement. In the span of a few seconds, it was made obvious to Trixie what lines she should not cross. "If I may ask…" She spoke up finally. "Why does she call him Master?"

"Because he owns me," Chrys said flatly.

"Owns… you?"

"Long story," Tyr said, coming back downstairs.

Trixie nodded. "Very well. Trixie will not ask."

"Wonderful," Chrys muttered. "We now know someone else who has a strange speaking habit."

"Oh, quit it, Chrissie," Tyr said with a smile. "Go show Trixie to one of the guest rooms."

"Very well, Master. Come along, Illusionist." Chrys got up and headed to the stairs. Trixie jumped up and rushed after her.

"How do you know…?"

Chrys smiled. "Someone with subdued pride like yours must have been hiding behind facades all their life. I can taste it with every word you speak."

At that moment, Trixie was certain. She was involved with quite the strange family.

-x-

"So we're having breakfast here?" Rainbow asked dryly. "Couldn't we have had breakfast somewhere else?"

"What, are you opposed to having breakfast here?" Twilight remarked. She and her five friends were walking up the short walkway that led to Tyr's castle home. It was the day after Tyr's sparring match with Cadance, and Twilight had thought she hadn't seen all her friends together in a long time. Late last evening, she had called all her friends and suggested they have breakfast together. Fluttershy had suggested they include Tyr and his family, and somewhere along the line it was agreed that it would be a surprise. Pinkie was excited.

"It's a surprise again!" Pinkie cheered.

"That's sort of why," Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes. "Plus, if it wasn't for this, I'd be having breakfast with Ace."

"I'm pretty sure Ace is with Flash this morning," Twilight said. "Princess Celestia called them in this morning, didn't she?"

"Oh. Well… whatever."

"Come now, Darling," Rarity said gently. "We have seen so little of Tyr lately, haven't we? It would be good to spend time with him."

"I agree," Fluttershy said.

"Yeah, whatever. I would have rather had Ace here," Rainbow pouted.

"And I'm sure Twi would like ta have Flash around too," Applejack said, elbowing her friend. Twilight blushed a bit and turned away.

"Yeah, whatever," Twilight said. "Let's just go in, shall we?"

Before another word could be said, Pinkie suddenly zipped up to the door. She sniffed it up and down, a frown on her face. "Pinkie-winkle, what are you doing?" Rarity asked.

"Something smells like… plot holes," She murmured.

"…Plot holes?"

"For us at least, cause we don't know the whole story."

"Pinks, what the hell…?" Rainbow murmured.

"Let's just go in before Pinkie gets any weirder," Applejack said, going up to the door. She knocked on it three times.

"Oh, hi guys!" Sherry greeted them at the door. "What are you doing here?"

"We decided to come by for breakfast," Twilight said. "You guys haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"No, Chrys and I were just about to get started. Come on in!" She turned and headed back inside, letting the six girls enter. As they rounded the corner to the dining room, they all paused. Trixie was sitting at the counter, aimlessly twisting a finger through her hair as she read a newspaper. As the sound of footsteps stopped, the former magician looked up, the shock on her face mirroring the looks from the six women staring at her. She coughed slightly.

"…Hello."

More silence. Finally, it was Rainbow Dash who spoke. "…What the hell are you doing here?"

"Before you begin running your mouth in your typical fashion, be silent," Chrys snapped, coming out of the kitchen. She was dressed in an apron and had a pan in her hands. "This one—Trixie—is a guest of this house."

"She's a guest!?" Rainbow seemed surprised. She turned back to Trixie, who gave her a nervous smile. "How on earth did you manage to trick Tyr to let you stay here?"

"Oh, would you quit your complaining?" An irritated voice from the couch snapped. Everyone turned just in time to see a shock of messy brown hair with silver streaks rise from the top of the couch. A young girl was sitting here, rubbing at her eyes. A pair of wolfish ears sat atop her head, and twitched irritably. "Odin's bones, you complain more than a small, hungry child!"

There was silence. Eyes went from the new arrival to Chrys and Trixie, who both looked just as confused. "…Who…?" Rarity managed to say, still confused. The wolf-eared girl frowned, and then her eyes snapped wide.

"…You… you all can hear me."

"And see you," Twilight confirmed.

"…Blood and thunder. I must have woken up more than I thought…"

"Who in tarnation are you?" Applejack demanded.

The girl scowled. "Wonderful. Now I have to answer to you all… what are you doing?"

The last comment was directed at Fluttershy, who had moved over to where she could examine the girl closer. She hadn't said a word before she had reached out to touch one of the girl's ears. "Oh! They're real."

"O-of course they're real!" The girl protested, jerking away from Fluttershy. As she scrambled away, Fluttershy caught sight of a wolf's tail trailing behind the girl. Seems the wolf characteristics followed all the way. "Don't get all handy with me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"What's going on down here?" Tyr came down the steps then, Luna following in his wake. Both of them seemed surprised at all the people in their house. "Well, didn't know we were having a party today."

"Every day is party worthy!" Pinkie squealed happily.

"It seems we have a new housemate," Chrys murmured. She tilted her head to indicate the girl sitting on the couch, whose ears perked up.

"Alpha!" The girl said, a little surprised.

"Alpha?" Tyr repeated, a frown crossing his face. He stared at the girl for the longest time before some kind of recognition passed. "…You couldn't be. Fenrir?"

"One and the same!" The wolf girl grinned. "Nice of you to recognize me, Alpha!"

"Wait a sec," Dash said, holding up a hand. "Fenrir? Wasn't that the name of your sword?"

"It was indeed," Fenrir said, nimbly jumping up to the back of the couch and sitting there. "You all look upon the mighty Fenrir!"

"Mighty?" Applejack chuckled. "Mighty tiny is what I'd call ya."

Fenrir frowned. "…So I haven't regained all of my power yet, and I am restricted to this form."

"You are actually pretty cute," Fluttershy said, smiling.

"Wha… Don't call me cute!"

"Well, looking like that you can't help it," Tyr said with a chuckle. "To be honest, I didn't know you could take a physical form."

"I suppose your little match with that Cadance woman energized me enough. I was quite impressed at how you used the pack, Alpha."

"You were awake for that?"

"I only sleep when you sleep."

"I can sense her faintly, Master," Chrys pointed out. "She is who she says she is."

"The number of women you have in your thrall seem to increase daily, beloved," Luna said dryly. She was beginning to wonder if he was doing it on purpose, but she knew Tyr well enough to know it was simply dumb luck. Her fiancé chuckled softly.

"Yeah, I've noticed the same thing. Hopefully it stops at two."

"Agreed."

"No worries, Moon Princess," Fenrir said. "I know my place. Alpha is free to use me as a blade."

"Um…" Sherry peeked out from the kitchen entrance. "I have no idea what's going on, but breakfast is ready."

As if waiting for that moment, every stomach in the room rumbled, save Chrys's. "I think we'd all be happy to eat," Twilight said with a chuckle.

With that last comment, the large group of friends moved to the dining room, talking, laughing, and generally enjoying one another's company. However, just as they were beginning to enjoy their food and company, none of them noticed the faint twinge of magical energy shoot through the air as a large orb like barrier engulfed the entirety of the city, shrouding it from outside eyes. As the barrier solidified, a battalion of white gold armored soldiers marched in, each armed with a large shield and longswords. Their faces were obscured with face concealing masks and adorned with black circles where the face would be. At their head was a huge armored figure with a twin headed silver axe at his side. His armor was more decorated, and a long white scarf trailed behind him as he strode forward. He walked with confidence, stopping only once they were at the crossroads of two streets. The formation behind him neatly fell into ranks as their leader looked slowly around. A few Equestrian and human citizens stopped to look at the strange procession happening. A few even took pictures. As the leader stood watching, a second, slender warrior strode up beside him. "A penny for your thoughts, dear Taurus?" The second warrior spoke with a decidedly female voice. The first turned ever so slightly before replying in a deep bass voice.

"I can sense them, Pisces."

"Good! Are they all here?"

"Yes."

"Then we should do our duty and end this, no?"

Taurus nodded. "Then…"

"Actually, let me handle the bright ones," Pisces said excitedly. If one could see his face, they would have seen Taurus frown ever so slightly.

"…Very well. Take half of the warriors."

"I'm sure I won't need that much, but I will do so."

With a simple snap of her fingers, Pisces led half of the large group away, marching down the left most street. Taurus turned back to the pedestrians, the faceless mien of his horned helmet betraying no emotion. When he finally spoke, it was in an even tone.

"…Find the Princesses. Kill them. If any others resist, kill them as well."

* * *

 **I would have a witty comment or some such here, but I think the cliffhanger speaks for itself.  
**

 **As always, thanks for taking the time to read my story, and favorite, follow or review as you wish. The Library Accepts all, and any input is good input.**

 **Mae alssalama!**


	29. Chapter 28: A Dangerous Game

**First off, I apologize for my lateness. I was out of town, and enjoying a nice break with my girlfriend made me lose track of time. I had the chapter ready and everything, but i didn't remember until today. But I digress.**

 **PBJ: I actually had to go look up what Trixie's cutie mark looked like after i read your comment. I always thought it was a path of stars, not a moon. Thanks for pointing it out though, I appreciate the attention to detail!**

 **Flammablefiredragon: I'm always appreciative of any kind of comment, and hey, life get's to us all. And don't worry, I've still got more story to tell.**

 **Chddmychal: Just curious, but isn't Angel Down a story by some other author? I haven't looked to see if they were dropping it or not.**

 **Well, that's enough of that. Weird addressing each comment individually, but maybe I'll try doing it more. On to the chapter! I've left you waiting long enough, methinks.**

* * *

Chapter 28: A Dangerous Game

"…No, I am not going to get you magical swords," Celestia said, shooting down yet another request from her captain of the guard. She, Ace, and Flash sat in her office in the compound, sharing a laugh at the crazy suggestions Ace was making for the guard. She half believed he suggested most of the things he did simply to make her laugh. So far, not including the magic swords, he had suggested getting heavier guns and/or tanks. She couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm saying, magic swords would be super useful," Ace maintained, leaning back in his chair.

"You're just jealous of Tyr again," Flash pointed out.

"Hey man, I'm just saying…"

"You never cease to find a way to make me laugh, Ace Guard," Celestia said, a touch of fondness in her voice. "I am so glad I still have you with me."

Ace blinked once before blushing slightly. "Aw, Princess… I'm not worthy of your praise."

"No, you are indeed. You've served me faithfully for a long time now."

"Flash has been around as long as me," Ace said, trying to shift the attention.

"Yeah, but you were always closest," Flash said with a smirk. "I was the one who usually was sent out for stuff.

"Well… whatever."

Celestia laughed softly. She opened her mouth to say something, but a small noise caught her attention. She glanced over at Ace, who was pulling out a small radio. She recognized it as the ones the guards used while around the compound. "…Is something the matter?"

"Hold on a moment," Ace said. He leaned down to speak into the receiver. "Something up?"

"Captain!" A panicked voice called out. "We've got what we think are hostiles advancing on us!"

"Hostiles?" Flash repeated the word with confusion. "Who on earth… is it the Scarecrows?"

"Are the attackers human?" Ace asked, and got static for a second, before the voice came back. There was the sound of gun fire in the background.

"We… I don't know! Buck, the bullets are just bouncing away! They've got some kind of magic field deflecting the—AGH!"

The radio cut out. The three of them sat in silence. There was no need to check to see what the situation was. Ace flicked the nob on the radio to address all of the guard. He was calm, but the look on his face was grim. "This is Captain Ace Guard. All surviving guard are to fall back to the secondary defense, and ready yourselves for close combat."

A short chorus of affirmatives came back, but Ace wasn't completely listening. Flash had already jumped up to his feet and retrieved their blades from the far wall. He tossed Ace's to his before strapping his own to his back. He did the same with their white and gold long-coats. "Princess—" He began, but Celestia held up a hand.

"If they are going to be fighting in close, then my magic will be a great help to you," She said, smiling softly.

"…I was only going to say stay behind us," Flash said with a chuckle. "I'd rather you WERE slinging spells behind us."

"Then lead the way, my knights."

The three of them left the office, Ace and Flash leading with Celestia behind them. "Bout time we were given an excuse to use these blades of ours," Ace said, a small smile on his face. Only Celestia noticed before it was quickly replaced by a scowl. "I only hope the rest of the guard is still around."

"They should have fallen back by now," Flash said, tugging on his long-coat. After testing the material Rarity had made Tyr's trench-coat out of, Flash had—humbly—requested she make duplicates for the other knights. And Rarity, ever generous, had acquiesced. They hadn't tested them against sharp objects just yet, but any extra material was another layer between them and injury. "We drilled them hard enough on this…"

They rounded the corner to see a dozen of the Guard, all thankfully carrying their swords, positioned around a barricaded door. A couple were tending to superficial wounds. They glanced back as the trio approached, relief filling their faces as Celestia approached, the warm radiance of her magic enveloping them all in a comforting aura. "Captain," One of them said, a wiry Equestrian male with short, messy red hair. He saluted sharply.

"Sky Watcher, right?" Ace asked, tilting his head slightly. The guard nodded. "What's the situation?"

"We've managed to keep them out so far," Sky Watcher said, glancing at the door. They had pushed a few large pieces of furniture in front of the door, keeping out their attackers as best they could. "But they've got numbers on us, and we don't know if we can keep them out."

"What are we up against?"

"They're swordsmen as far as I can tell. No idea where they came from."

"Did you get an accurate count?" Flash asked.

"Somewhere in the neighborhood of a few dozen. Maybe six."

"And we've got only a fraction of that number…"

"They're heavily armed as well too," another guard pointed out. "Full armor and that crazy magic field they have."

"So far it only seems to keep bullets away," Sky Watcher muttered. "We haven't tried fighting them in melee yet, but considering that armor…"

Ace was deep in thought. He was in a narrow hall with a small force, and they only had close range weapons to defend themselves with. Against a heavy armored force with much better equipment for this sort of attack. Their only advantage was the fact that they had was the veritable heavy artillery in a very attractive package that was Princess Celestia. As the sounds of weapons tearing at the door sounded, Ace found himself smiling. "I think today is going to be interesting," He murmured, eyes bright with excitement.

"…C-captain?"

"Pay him no mind," Celestia said quickly. "Your captain is currently readying himself for battle."

"Just get yourselves ready," Flash said, drawing his longsword. "I don't have to worry about Ace, cause he's harder to kill than you'd think."

The pounding at the door grew louder, and the small force readied themselves for the oncoming conflict. "Do not falter, my little ones," Celestia said softly, though her voice carried easily over the crashing on the door. The few guards in the hall turned to look at her, the worry in their eyes quickly melting away as their princess began to speak. "They think we are weak because we cannot fight them on their terms. But we are much stronger than them. Remember, we stand by one another. We are always stronger together."

The door before them began to splinter. The first of the armored warriors came into view then, the black circle on its mask almost looking like an accusing eye. It's shield smashed up into the door, breaking it further. "They're almost through," A worried voice said. In response, Celestia's golden hued magic flared forth, blasting the offending warrior back into his comrades. They spared him a passing glance before continuing their assault against the door. All her guards glanced back at their princess.

"Well, scare tactics didn't work," Celestia said with a shrug.

A moment later, the door gave way, and the flimsy barricade went with it. The armored warriors marched in, weapons raised to attack. Flash raised his sword, voice carrying. "Throw them back! For the Princess!"

His battle cry was caught up by the rest of the guard, and they surged forward, hoping to keep the number of enemies in the hall to a minimum and keep the numerical advantage down. Celestia's magic seared forward like a ray from a furious sun, scorching the first warrior through and scattering the next few. Ace dashed into the fray, burying his short sword in the neck of a warrior with precision. Before he could be attacked further, the white haired knight pulled his weapon free and sliced into the next opponent, trailing blood from the first kill as he did. The wild grin on his face unnerved Celestia, although she had seen it once before. Not in Ace, but in his father. Some of the prestigious guard families had a nasty tendency to produce guards that thrived not in peacetime, but only in war. The line descended from the old Honor Guard only produced knights of this specific caliber.

Blood Knights.

But even as the thought came to her and she sent a warrior flying, she brushed it off. It was in times like these, men like Ace were needed. Although she had worked hard to curb that bloodlust in her favored guard, she could only hope he didn't become drunk on the taste of battle. Though she would have to ask Luna to erase the image of those blood-drunk eyes from her nightmares…

-x-

"Song," Scootaloo called out. "I finished with the laundry."

"Ah, good!" Beat smiled over at the energetic young girl from her place in the kitchen. As someone who had lived mostly alone for the longest time, she could truly appreciate having someone around the house often. And Scootaloo was always eager to help. "I'm almost done cooking, so you can come in and wait if you want."

"Kay!"

Scootaloo came bouncing into the kitchen, hopping onto a stool before settling down to watch the white haired girl. "What are you making?"

"Cheese eggs and waffles," Beat said, using her magic to manipulate the pan on the oven. She briefly wondered at what her life would have been like if she hadn't had magic to use for simple tasks like this. She shook her head to clear it. Her big brother had worked hard to keep such thoughts out of her mind.

"That sounds really good!"

"Really? I'm glad. I usually make this for my big brother… or should I be calling him your dad now?" She glanced back and winked at the girl, and was rewarded with a slight blush.

"I…I guess so."

Beat chuckled softly and went back to cooking. She could hear Scootaloo singing softly to herself behind her, something about 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'. She simply smiled and didn't say anything. Scootaloo and Beat had gotten along very well when the younger girl had moved in, easily getting used to Beat's easygoing style and quiet nature. Beat as well had grown to love the energy Scootaloo brought to her life, along with the simple innocence of a younger girl. She almost wanted to complain to Ace that he waited way too long to bring the girl into their lives. As she transferred the eggs onto a plate with the waffles, there was a knock at the door. Before she could say anything, Scootaloo had already jumped up and went to the door. "I got it!"

The girl had barely reached the door before it burst forward, tossing splinters across the small entryway. Crying out in surprise, Scootaloo staggered back and fell, just as the white armored soldier pushed his way inside. The longsword it carried raised over her, and prepared to come down.

"Now, you should know better."

The cold declaration caught the warrior off guard, and it looked to the side in time for a magically thrown pan to slam into its head, staggering it and making it stumble to the side. "Beat!" Scootaloo cried out.

A red aura of magic glowed about the white-haired girl, a cold gaze on her face as her magic seized hold of every piece of silverware in the kitchen. "Scootaloo, get over here. Now."

Scootaloo quickly rushed to the side of her new aunt, taking safety behind her magically animated kitchen. The warrior raised its blade and charged. Beat flung everything at it, beating it back with sheer weight of metal. But the armor of the warrior held, and it brushed off the few pieces lodged in its armor. "It's not even hurt!" Scootaloo cried.

Beat was silent for a long moment. Then a dark smile grew on her face. "…Scootaloo dear, I need you to cover your ears."

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

There was a threat in that statement, and Scootaloo didn't want to know what it was. Taking Beat's advice, she crouched over and pressed her hands tight against her ears. Beat nodded appreciatively. "Good girl."

She let her magic flow free then, focusing it in a place not many former unicorns would think to put it: her throat. Her vocal chords buzzed with magic, and she opened her mouth and screamed. The sound vibrated at a wavelength almost imperceptible to another living thing, shaking with such an unnatural tone that just feeling it leave her body made her sick. But at the same time, she felt exhilaration. She had only sang this note once before and her magic roared like a released beast, knowing that this was what she was meant to do. She could feel the smile grow unbidden on her face as her magic flowed forth to do what it was always destined to.

To kill.

The armored warrior tried to advance on her, before taking a heavy step and stopping. The longsword dropped, and the warrior's gauntlets shot up to the sides of its head, hoping to block out the noise. But it was too late, and Beat could feel it. The moment the sound had entered the warrior's ears, it was over. As she had used this magic once before, she felt the sound slip into the warrior's inner ear and completely implode every working part at once. The miniature explosions moved all the way to the warrior's brain, before Beat's voice scrambled it like fruit in a blender. She closed her mouth abruptly, and the armored man keeled over, dead before he hit the ground. Beat shivered, both in disgust in what she had done and quiet pleasure. IT had been a long time since she had last taken a life, and that dark nature of hers was reveling in it. She sighed deeply.

"That felt good," She murmured, her magic receding. She glanced over at Scootaloo, who had not witnessed anything that had happened. She reached over and tapped her shoulder gently. "Scootaloo. You can get up now."

"Whoa…" Scootaloo murmured as she straightened up and saw the dead warrior. "What happened?"

"I… I sang him a song." She smiled weakly, hoping the young girl would believe her. Lucky for her, she did.

"Wow. Is he asleep?"

"…Kind of. He won't be waking up for a while."

"Wow… I guess being a sister of the captain of the guard means you can take care of yourself."

"Of course! But I don't know if any more are coming, so we should leave."

"Where should we go?"

"I think… We can go to Tyr's home, correct?"

"Right! Tyr can protect us!"

"Then we should go." Beat quickly wheeled herself to the destroyed door, Scootaloo tagging along behind her. They were barely outside before a trio of similar warriors surrounded them. "…Buck."

There was no negotiating with them, as they all raised their sword in preparation to cut them down. Beat almost chuckled as she futilely pulled Scootaloo behind her protectively. It would only buy the girl a few seconds at most, but she felt she had to at least try. She couldn't sing her song again so soon, so that wasn't an option. "What do we do, Beat?" Scootaloo asked nervously.

"Scootaloo… I want you to run."

"What? I can't leave you!"

There's the influence from the Element of Loyalty, Beat thought to herself. She shook her head. "I won't be able to run, but I can at least get you out safely…"

"I'm not going to abandon you!"

"Scootaloo…!" Beat only had a moment before the warriors advanced. It was too late, and even Scootaloo's speed wouldn't get her away safely. She grit her teeth and prepared for the worst. But before the blades fell, a sharp sound split the air. "…Was that… a whistle?"

The trio of warriors froze in place, the whistling growing louder. The lead one jerked forward suddenly, before crumpling like a ragdoll. A silver flash darted between the other two, and they fell to the ground as well. Beat saw the almost invisible needles flying out of the newly made corpses, flying back to an approaching redheaded woman. Grace's face was set in an impassive scowl as she tilted her hips just slightly to allow the flying needles to reenter the small pack she wore attached to her jeans. "Guess all that fine motor control I trained helped out, huh?" She asked to no one in particular.

"Grace…!" Beat breathed, relief flooding into her voice.

"Heart Song, are you all right?" Grace asked, coming over.

"We're fine. How… how did you get here so quickly?"

"I live down the street, if you believe it. I saw Dash and Ace coming home one day after training."

"Thank Celestia you were nearby."

"That was really cool what you did," Scootaloo said, eyes fixed on the bag of needles on Grace's hip. "I didn't even see them!"

"If something is moving fast enough and is small enough, you won't notice it as easily," Grace explained, kneeling beside one of the dead warriors. She tugged at the helmet for a bit before finding the clasps that held it in place. She pulled it off then, revealing a very pale skinned man with no discernable markings at all except for a tattoo that was the same design as the helmet. His eyes were pure black. Grace gingerly fingered the two small holes in the side of the man's neck. "…Well, at least their physiology is the same."

"What—or who—are they?" Beat asked, wheeling herself over. Grace sighed and shook her head.

"I wish I could say. I just know that I got a message from the guard. These guys are all over the city."

"Oh no…"

Grace straightened up. "I'm taking you to Tyr's house. It's probably the safest place right now."

"…Have you heard from my brother?"

"Ace was with Princess Celestia last I heard. He should be fine."

Grace gave her a comforting smile before turning to look around, obviously checking for any more enemies. "I'm not worried about his safety," Beat said quietly to herself, mind racing back to her own episode just moments before. She hadn't felt like that in a long time. It was bound to be worse for her brother.

-x-

"Alpha," Fenrir spoke up suddenly, ears perking up. Everyone paused in their conversation to glance over at the wolf spirit. Her gaze was focused towards the door, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"What is it, Fenrir?" Tyr asked.

Fenrir's eyes narrowed even further. "…We have a serious issue."

Before anyone could ask what she meant, the front door exploded inwards. "What in Celestia's name…!" Rarity cried out, just as a group of armored warriors muscled their way inside. They turned ever so slightly and focused on Luna, who had frozen with a piece of fruit halfway to her mouth. Without a word, they moved forward.

"W-who are they!?" Fluttershy squeaked, already freaking out.

"Now look here," Applejack began, standing up. "Y'all can't just—"

There were no words spoken, but a blade was levelled at Applejack's neck, barely missing decapitating her with the stroke as Chrys pulled her away. "You idiot! They are here to _kill_ us!"

That declaration broke the stillness and spurred everyone into motion. As four more of the warriors pushed inside, Tyr rushed into the kitchen, quickly retrieving his pistol. Luna and Twilight's magic flared forth, blasting the warriors back. Despite the sudden onslaught, they simply raised their shields and pushed through the attack. "Those shields are magic resistant!" Twilight cried out in horror.

Tyr aimed his gun, but before he could fire, Chrys's mind connected to his. [They are surrounded with a field that deflects firearms, Master] She thought, moving beside him. She was crouched low, ready to pounce on command.

[How the hell…?]

[It is some kind of magic I have never witnessed before]

Tyr frowned, dropping his gun. Applejack was protecting Fluttershy and Sherry from a pair of warriors, keeping them at bay with a chair. Luna and Twilight were vainly trying to keep the rest of the men away. Rarity and Pinkie were slowly being forced into a corner, and Rainbow Dash was flying up near the ceiling, taunting the warriors facing her. Trixie was attempting to flee upstairs. Tyr took the entire scene in with one glance. Then it clicked. "FENRIR!"

A howl tore through the house as Fenrir leapt towards her Alpha, body rippling and changing into that of a massive wolf. Using her weight, she smashed down on one armored man, the satisfying crunch of crumpling metal rewarding her landing. She leapt again, shimmering with silver light as Tyr reached up to her. The wolf had become his sword again, and with a thought the matrix of magic flowed into life around his arm. The warriors turned to him, now finally identifying him as a threat. The nearest spun to face him, only to have Chrys's claws tear through metal and flesh in one slash. "You will not hurt my Master, or my friends," She hissed, claws glowing with viridian magic.

Tyr stepped forward, angling Fenrir slightly as he faced down his first opponent. The masked warrior charged him, shield up to deflect any forward blow. Tyr felt a small nudge in his line of thinking. The warrior before him was planning to use his heavier build to overpower him, hoping to end the fight with one blow. The heavy blade he wielded was too heavy to block, so he had to deflect it. Even before his train of thought concluded, the armored warrior struck, blade coming down like the ax of an executioner. Tyr stepped lightly to the side, blade swinging up just far enough to push the attack away from him. He pushed forward, Chrys following up on his defense to bury her claws in the warrior's face. It was as if they had planned it from the beginning. Tyr almost felt like the world around him had suddenly began moving to a specific script.

Forward step, defensive hold. Let the enemy come to you. Deflect the clumsy strike, push blade into throat. Let Chrys catch the next as they charged in. Take the one attacking Applejack from behind, downward strike. Turn to face second, block horizontal stroke. Applejack kicks this one into next week before telling Fluttershy to take Sherry and run. Rainbow Dash distract next target for Chrys to take out. Luna's magic flowed forward then, freezing one warrior solid for Twilight to shatter.

Where there had been almost a dozen of the armored warriors, there were now just corpses. Tyr and his friends stared in quiet shock at what had just happened. "…How did we… how in tarnation did we manage that?" Applejack murmured.

"It was like you all suddenly… clicked," Trixie said, eyes wide as she came back down. "Like you were all working in concert."

"Look!" Twilight pointed at Applejack's shoulder. Everyone looked and found a silver shield emblem floating just an inch away from her skin. "That looks like Tyr's Cutie Mark…"

"I have one as well," Luna murmured, glancing at her own shoulder. "As do you, Twilight."

"I appear to have it as well," Chrys said. She glanced over at Tyr. "Master…?"

"Hah!" Fenrir suddenly turned back into her humanoid form. Her bushy tail was wagging back and forth in excitement. "As befitting one worthy to lead the Pack! All Alpha must do is use his magic, and even you all can be made into an effective fighting force!"

"My magic did that?" Tyr asked in shock. Fenrir nodded vigorously.

"You are a strategist at heart, Alpha. With your magic, you can connect any group together and drive them to work even better with one another."

The emblems vanished, and Tyr dismissed his magic. "Well then. I guess that's something to keep in mind then. Although I do feel a bit of a headache coming on."

"Let me help you, beloved," Luna said softly, moving over to him. She rested one cool hand against his forehead. "Better?"

"Yeah, that's better." He glanced out the window. "…There's more of them."

"Then we take the fight to them!"

"You stay back," Tyr said softly, yet firmly. "I'm not putting you in danger."

"Beloved, I—"

"He's right, darling," Rarity said. "We can't put you or the babies at risk."

Luna looked around, finding the same feelings on everyone's faces. She sighed in frustration. "I… very well. I understand. But I will not be coddled and held in hiding! I will confront our enemies at least."

"I think that might be sooner than y'all think," Applejack muttered. She and Fluttershy were at the window, the latter holding tightly to her girlfriend. "There's a big one out there."

"Probably these beasts leader, no doubt," Rarity murmured.

"Ooh, ooh, like the boss in a video game!" Pinkie said.

Fluttershy shivered. "He looks scary…"

"Well, he picked the wrong doorstep to show up on," Tyr said, scowling. He motioned with one hand, Chrys and Fenrir moving to his side. Applejack, Twilight, and Luna joined him.

"We'll stay inside, where its safe," Fluttershy said hurriedly, going to Sherry, who was visibly horrified. Could you blame the girl? It wasn't supposed to be so common to see people dying. That thought only served to make Tyr even more incensed.

"I'll stay as well," Rarity said. She sighed. "To my own dismay, I am not much use in a fight."

"Same here," Trixie said nervously. "All I've got is illusions and cheap tricks."

"Then you all stay here," Tyr said. He glanced over at his daughter, who was staring up at him. He gave her a comforting smile. "Stay here, alright sweetie? I have to go for now."

At first, Sherry said nothing. Then, she held up Tyr's long-coat and smiled weakly up at him. "Just… come back, dad," Sherry said quietly. As he took the offered garment from his daughter, Tyr could do nothing but nod.

"Let's kick these suckers outta here," Rainbow said, flying over.

The small group exited through the destroyed door, fanning out slightly as they came face to face with a massive force of armored warriors led by their horned leader himself. Taurus had his huge double bladed axe set in the ground before him. The horned helmet tilted upwards ever so slightly as if regarding the small group before him. It was a long moment before he spoke. "…Lunar Princess."

Tyr spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Rarity, Fluttershy, Trixie and Sherry were all watching. He redirected his attention to the armored man before him. Luna stepped up beside him, defiance in her eyes. "That would be me. Would thou like to explain what is happening here?"

"We of the Zodiac have come to eliminate that which would disturb the order in this world. In order for that to occur, you must die."

"What the hell!?" Rainbow spat, only to have Luna hold up a hand to silence her.

"And why kill me?"

"…I have my orders. Will you except my judgement?"

Tyr had already stepped forward, Fenrir returning to her sword form. "You'll have to go through me first."

The horned head nodded slightly. "A fellow warrior." There was a hint of appreciation in his voice as he spoke, before the tone changed to one tinged with regret. "If only there were more of you."

"…You've been killing innocents," Twilight said in horror. The horned helmet drooped slightly.

"…I have my orders."

"You _bastard_ ," Twilight began, fury in her voice. Chrys quickly grabbed a hold of the librarian's shoulder, using her powers to keep Twilight from acting in haste. "How could you!"

"I was ordered. So I did my duty."

Tyr was silent for a moment before sighing. "I know the feeling. However, that will not forgive your actions."

"I would not expect that from you." The horned helmed rose back up. "But I request a fair fight from you, a fellow warrior."

Tyr smirked. "Fair enough. I would be going out of my way to kill you anyway."

The armored giant lifted his axe, holding it in a ready stance. "You face Taurus, of the Zodiac."

Tyr lifted his blade, feeling a proud howl from Fenrir seem to roll through his body. He was up against a trained opponent this time, and he could feel the anticipation building in his muscles. Despite himself, he was looking forward to this. In the corners of his mind, the wolf pack was howling in anticipation. "My name is Tyr, Lunar Knight."

Taurus chuckled. "I'm going to enjoy this. Come!"

Faster than any living thing encased in armor should be, Taurus shouldered his axe and charged forward. Tyr snapped his blade up into a ready position, only for that feeling from before to come back. This time, he knew what it was—it was Fenrir guiding him in battle. The axe about to swing his way was way too heavy to block, and would most likely cleave him in two if he tried to catch it head on. Instead, he sidestepped the attack, and the axe smashed into the ground. But before he could take advantage of the miss, an armored gauntlet backhanded him across the jaw, knocking him away. A pair of his construct soldiers materialized in time to catch him and right him before Taurus came charging back at him. Tyr smirked and met the charge, his constructs leaping to his sides and stabbing forward with spears. Taurus smashed them aside, but being forced to swing left him open to attack, and Tyr smashed Fenrir into his side, the blade flaring up with silver magic. He was rewarded with a grunt before being shoved away.

[He's trying to keep you at a distance! Stay close to him!]

Tyr gritted his teeth as he back stepped out of another wide axe strike. He didn't need Chrys to tell him that, but he appreciated it anyway. He got back into his stance just as Taurus lowered his head and charged. Caught off guard, Tyr could do nothing as the big man head butted him in the chest. The unexpected attack knocked the wind out of him and sent him sprawling to the ground. "Tyr!"

"He won't be done in with just that," Chrys said, but even she looked concerned.

Tyr grunted slightly as he sat up, glancing down and seeing a puncture wound where one of Taurus's horns had gotten to him. As he rose, he could also see blood seeping from between the cracks in Taurus's armor. Albeit a little surprised, he took it in stride that he managed to do some actual damage. Even Taurus seemed a little surprised. "Hm. It seems I cannot hold back against you."

"Hold back?" Tyr murmured in confusion. He didn't have to think for long before the circle on Taurus's helmet began to glow.

" _We take life as it comes, seizing our opportunities by the horns_ ," Taurus intoned, his armor beginning to glow. An aura of bright gold enveloped him. " _We still wait for it to knock_."

"What on earth…!" Twilight murmured. "He's casting a spell, but what spell…?"

"I invoke you!" Taurus roared, " _OCCASIONEM!_ "

The magical aura exploded outwards, and Taurus's body suddenly exploded in size, becoming even more massive and burly. The horns on his helmet grew even larger, much longer than even Tyr's arm. The warriors behind him cheered loudly. "By the night…!" Luna whispered, horrified.

Tyr stared down the giant without flinching. In the back of his mind, he could hear the pack howling in excitement—this was worthy prey. Only a beast this wild and huge was worth hunting. To oblige the hungry wolves, he raised his blade, pointing it at Taurus in challenge. His own silver aura surged forth, and dozens of silver wolves appeared. The howl was almost deafening. Back in her human form, Fenrir perched herself on Tyr's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. "Let the hunt BEGIN!"

-x-

"There's more coming!"

Flash turned around at the panicked cry, seeing more warriors pushing forward. All he could do was grimace and pull the injured Sky Watcher further back down the hall, trying to get him to safety. They had only managed to hold the last hallway entrance for a few minutes before numbers had forced them out. Despite throwing everything she had at them, Celestia could do no more to stem the tide herself, and now they were fighting a retreating battle. Ace was beside him a terrifyingly passive look on his face. He was covered in blood, none of it his, and yet he looked as if he would break out into a smile at any moment. As he was worrying about his friend, a gentle hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to find Celestia looking down at him, worry in her eyes. "Are you all right, Flash?"

"Could be better," He grunted noncommittally. He managed to get Sky Watcher into the next room, the large meeting hall. The remainder of the guard were already there, and once they were inside, they began barricading the doors as best they could. He leaned Sky Watcher against the far wall. "Could not have people trying to kill me. Could be spending a beautiful day with my girlfriend."

"Could be worse," Ace countered, retrieving a towel and wiping off his face. "We could be dead."

"Ever the optimist."

The blood knight smiled softly. "I have to be."

Flash was silent, staring at his friend. "…Ace, you alright? I was afraid we lost you for a bit back there."

Ace had been in essentially a killing frenzy not too long ago, cutting down opponent after opponent even as his own allies fell around him. Flash had been surprised that when Celestia had called for a retreat, he had come at once. Ace chuckled. "You won't lose me. Not yet, at least."

"Ace…" Celestia said softly, her worry clear. The snow haired young man shook his head.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I made a promise, to you and to my sister." He grinned. "I'm yours till death, Princess Celestia."

Flash sighed. "Considering how today is going, that may be sooner rather than later—hey!"

Ace had suddenly tossed an arm around his friend's shoulders, the grin never leaving his face. "Hey, don't you start with that. I promised Song she'd get to wear a dress at your wedding, and you're sure as hell going to be best man at mine. We are living through today."

Flash stared at him for a long moment. It was times like these he was happy to have Ace as a best friend. A friend that had such a joy for life in both the living and the taking. Made you consider your own place a lot more seriously. "Yeah… right. Thanks Ace."

"No problem, buddy."

There was a sound from the other side of the door. Instead of loud pounding, it was a light knocking. "Hello~ anybody home?"

"Identify yourself," Celestia demanded.

"Ah, is that the Princess of the Dawn herself? Oh, being addressed by royalty is such a pleasure! Oh, but where are my manners! I am Pisces of the Zodiac. And I am here to kill you."

"Not on your life you bastard!" Ace growled, his former joviality gone. "I'll gut you myself before I'd let you lay a hand on the Princess!"

There was a slight chuckle. "Is that a challenge? Oh I do love challenges."

"What…" Celestia murmured in surprise. "I feel… magic?"

Both Ace and Flash turned around sharply at that, before the entire front of the room exploded inwards. Pisces walked in, a long trident in her hand and bluish energy rippling off of her tall and slender form. "So! Which one of you wants to go first?"

Ace and Flash charged her together, blades slicing through the air. Before either of them could land a hit, the trident shot upwards and blue magical energy flowed out and blasted both men away. They were thrown to the far walls and fell unceremoniously to the ground. "Well, that was anticlimactic," Pisces said, sounding disappointed.

"Why are you doing this?" Celestia demanded.

"Because I was ordered to," Pisces said simply. She glanced down to Celestia's hands, which were beginning to glow gold. "Oh, don't do that. Our armor is enchanted to resist your kind of magic."

Celestia stared at her, dumbfounded. "How… who are you?"

"We are the Zodiac, the protectors of Order. And I apologize, but I have to kill you now."

"That's not fair at all," A soft voice pointed out. Celestia looked around in confusion, while Pisces froze in fear.

"Black Widow," Pisces hissed, whirling around. "Show yourself!"

" _Welcome to my web, said the spider to the fly,_ " The voice said. " _Isn't today just a good day to die?_ "

To Celestia's surprise, Isabel appeared, dressed in a dark metal-grey dress. She was standing a short distance away from Pisces, a small smile on her face. She had one hand up in the air, fingers messing with something that they could not see. Her blood red eyes bore into Pisces, who visibly flinched back. "What the hell… why are you here!?"

"You really thought I wouldn't notice what was going on?" Isabel asked, lowering her hand. She frowned. "I would think Zodiac knows by now that Tsukiyomi sees _all_."

"You little…!" She looked up at her warriors, who hadn't moved. "What are you standing around for!? Kill her!"

In response, every warrior dropped dead in unison. Pisces and Celestia stood in mute horror as a veritable spider web of silver strands were left in the air, dripping with blood. Each and every strand shimmered in the dull lighting, each coming to meet around the silver woman. Isabel smiled. "I just said Tsukiyomi sees everything."

"You little—!" Pisces charged towards her with her trident, aiming the deadly points at the young woman's throat. Isabel didn't bother moving, but before the weapon could pierce her, Pisces found herself impaled by seven different white-bladed swords, each held by a faceless figure in what looked like old masquerade outfits. "I… I was so close…!"

"What a Tragedy," Isabel said with a small giggle. The seven masked swordsmen pulled their weapons free, letting Pisces fall to the ground. There were no questions about it; she was dead. The seven faceless performers formed lines along the side of the hall, holding their blades at attention as their mistress walked towards Celestia. The young woman curtsied slightly. "I apologize for not coming sooner, Princess Celestia."

"You came in the nick of time," Celestia murmured, relief flooding through her body. "How did you know we were in danger?"

"Tsukiyomi sees all," Isabel said simply. Her eyes glowed ever so slightly before reverting to their usual hazel color. She glanced past Celestia into the room. "You have injured?"

"Yes, we do."

"I can heal them, if you would like."

Celestia failed to keep the surprise off her face. "Please do."

Isabel smiled and entered the room. She knelt down beside one of the most injured guards and held her hands over the stab wound in his side, a soft green glow emanating from them. To Celestia's mild surprise, the wound began to knit itself back together. "Much better."

"Who were those guys?" Flash groaned, sitting up. He rubbed at the back of his head.

"Zodiac soldiers," Isabel said, moving to her next patient. "The best I can explain the grunts are that they're clones."

Ace frowned, still lying on his side. "Clones? You have to be joking."

"I wish I was. They're expendable soldiers so that the Zodiac can focus on more serious threats."

"Like Princess Celestia."

Isabel nodded. "Exactly. The lower ranked ones are no threat, but I still had to set up a bit before revealing myself."

"I guess thanks are in order," Celestia said. "If it hadn't been for you…"

"Do not thank me yet," Isabel said softly. "There are still Zodiac soldiers elsewhere in the city."

"Well then, we should…" Celestia trailed off, hand going to her forehead and she staggered to the side. Ace and Flash jumped up, but one of Isabel's swordsmen leapt forward to steady her. "…I believe I have tired myself out."

"Constant magical exertion will do that to you," Isabel said. "Rest. My sisters are already going to deal with the other Zodiac."

"There was another?" Ace asked.

Isabel nodded. Her eyes turned red again for a split second as she looked up at the near wall. "I just hope they get there in time. I can't tell how long he'll last…"

Flash frowned. "He?"

-x-

The ground was scarred and pitted with small impact craters and axe marks. The hulking Taurus faced down the wounded yet still fighting Tyr. The man was still standing, although he was covered in wounds and he was barely hanging onto his sword. Taurus was wounded as well, but they were superficial compared to Tyr's. The fight was rapidly going in favor of the Zodiac. "He can't keep this up..!" Twilight said, horrified. "We have to help him!"

"That beast would kill us before we had a chance," Chrys said coldly. "Not to mention those soldiers are still watching us. We'd never get through them all."

"This is stupid!" Rainbow snarled. "We're just going to let him die!?"

"Stop!" Luna ordered. The others looked at her. "…As much as I want to help my beloved, we cannot fight that beast. It is almost impossible for me to stand by and watch Tyr suffer like this… We—"

She didn't get to finish, for Taurus charged Tyr again. The very steps of the behemoth shook the ground, and the smaller man fell back, unable to keep his balance. As the axe blade came up, he pointed his sword at him in defiance. Tyr was certain of at least one thing: That he wasn't going to die cowering. The axe came down—

"TAG IN!"

The entire crowd froze. Tyr looked up to find a small hand resting atop of his, which was connected to a girl he could hardly believe was standing there holding up that axe. "…No way."

"Hi Sherry's dad!" Passion said in her normal cheery tone. She grinned. "You look like you've been fighting a bull!"

"I think I have," Tyr said, chuckling despite himself. After all the stuff he's had to be part of in the last year, he was beginning to not be surprised by anything he witnessed.

"Well, no worries! I got this guy." She looked up at the axe she still held in one hand. "I've been looking for a good fight all week!"

"That voice…" Taurus rumbled, his voice several octaves deeper because of his giant size. His entire body stiffened at the recognition of who was stopping him. "Striate."

"Nice ta meet ya!" Passion said. "But unfortunately, I have to bring you down to size. _Kagu-Tsuchi!_ "

With a sudden explosion of fire, Passion was instantly dressed in a frilly red and black skirt, a dark gray dress shirt, and dark metal gauntlets covering her arms up to the elbow. Her hair was bright red near the roots and trailed into orange near the tips. It was almost like looking at open flames. She pushed the axe away and leapt directly into Taurus's open chest, slamming into him with more force than it seemed. The blow knocked the much larger armored figure back onto his back. "By the night…!" Luna whispered in horror. How could so much raw power exist inside of such a small frame?

"Rainbow Dash, follow me!" Chrys hissed, dashing forward. Rainbow didn't ask questions, chasing after the Changeling. They made a beeline to Tyr. "Master, are you alright?"

"Battered and beaten, but I'm still living," Tyr said, struggling to his feet. He glanced over to where Passion was single handedly giving Taurus a one sided beat down. "…This is ridiculous."

"You're telling me," Rainbow said. "That's kid's crazy!"

"Come Master, we need to get you to safety," Chrys said, helping him up. She glanced to where the other soldiers were, and saw them charging towards them. "…Damnation."

A wave of frost flowed outwards from them, forming massive ice shards to block them off. "I will not stand idly by any longer," Luna said, hands raised with magic flowing from them.

"We need to move," Rainbow said, seeing the soldiers begin attacking the ice. Chrys nodded in agreement, pulling Tyr along with her as they retreated back to the house. Impacts marked the conflict of Passion and Taurus, the small girl seemingly hitting harder and harder with each strike. The small girl wasn't even bothering to dodge the much larger warrior's attacks and was simply taking them in stride, jumping back up after every brutal blow and giving back just as much as she took. As they made it back to the front door, they heard the ice wall break behind them. "Aw, buck!"

"Excuse me," A voice said politely. They looked over to find a slender girl with long, multicolored hair and… green skin? Her all black eyes fixed upon them with slight confusion.

"What in Celestia's name…?" Twilight began, but the girl quickly directed her black eyes past them. She knelt on the ground and slipped her hands easily into the dirt. Almost instantly, giant tendrils made of plant matter burst from the ground to sweep the soldiers back again. She pulled her hands free, and the tendrils receded. "What… how… that…!"

"Best not to ask right now, sugarcube," Applejack said, patting Twilight's shoulder. "Not the best time, you know?"

"But…!"

"She's a living plant," Luna said wondrously. The girl nodded and smiled.

"My name is Willow Striate. Pleasure to meet you."

The conversation was cut short by Passion crashing into the ground nearby. "Whoa!" She said, sitting up in the small crater. Willow, a worried look on her face, went over to her.

"Are you alright, Passion?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! You know I'm tough!" Passion grinned, and reached up to ruffle the long flower petals that made up Willow's hair. "Nice of ya to worry though."

Taurus came stomping over, blood dripping from multiple dents and rends in his armor. Passion had really knocked him around. Rainbow whistled softly. "Celestia's mane, she might be stronger than you, Applejack."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Applejack muttered.

"You should hurry up and finish," Willow told Passion, who shrugged.

"I know, I know. But you know I don't get to get my blood pumping like this often enough!" Passion grinned. "But I'll quit playing around."

The fire-headed girl jumped up onto her feet. Taurus was already lowering his head to charge, rushing forward to crush her. Passion ran forward, sliding past the giant fist and punching straight up into Taurus's chest. She slapped her other hand to her arm, an aura of red in the form of flames appearing around her. The aura formed into large wings that opened wide from behind her. She grinned.

"I am the flame that burns hottest and brightest!" She intoned, aura flaring up even brighter. She twisted her fist quickly, a snapping sound resonating throughout the area. "PILEBUNKER!"

The giant warrior's back exploded in a corona of flames and metal, the magical explosion ripping through him. Passion shoved him off to the side, the smoking hole in his back proof enough of the end of the fight. At the sight of their leader dead, the Zodiacs that remained quickly fled. "Yeah, that's right!" Rainbow yelled after them. "You better run!"

"They never stick around after their leaders are gone," Willow said thoughtfully. "That means Isabel has taken out the other one."

"Well, good for her," Tyr grunted, sitting down on the ground. Luna went over to him.

"Beloved, are you alright? Those wounds seem serious…!"

"Like I told Chrys, I'm just beat up. All that training has toughened me up."

"You're still bleeding all over, Alpha," Fenrir pointed out, flowing seamlessly from her sword form. "However, you still fought well against a superior opponent."

"Oh, it's times like these I wish I learned healing magic," Luna said ruefully. "I instead focused on my offensive magic."

"That ice magic came in handy," Twilight said. "I may have to learn that myself."

"Um… excuse me again," Willow said, coming over to them. She pushed a strand of her—pushed a petal out of her face. "I can help, if you would like."

"You are a healer?" Luna asked.

"Sort of. Passion, can you come help me?"

"Sure thing, little sis!" Passion came skipping over. Her hair had reverted to its white coloration with its red streaks. Willow moved beside Tyr, a long vine growing from her arm with long thin leaves growing from it. "Oh, you're doing that treatment, huh?"

"Yes, please be gentle." Willow rested her hands on Tyr's chest, more vines growing to gently reveal the places where he had been injured.

Tyr couldn't help but squirm a little bit. "That kinda tickles."

Willow giggled. "I know. Sorry."

Passion began to gently pluck the leave from the vine, setting them in a little pile until she had ten. "Done."

"Thank you. That didn't hurt as much as last time," Willow said, glancing back at her. Passion laughed nervously.

"I learn quick, huh?"

Willow giggled. She glanced around at the others. "Um… what I'm about to do is going to seem a little disgusting."

"Huh?" Twilight frowned. "How so?"

"No matter," Luna said. "Whatever you have to do, do it. As long as it won't hurt him."

"It might sting a little," Willow said honestly.

Tyr grunted. "I'll be fine. Go ahead."

Willow nodded. She picked up one of her leaves and took a deep breath. After a moment of running her tongue around in her mouth, she began to drool a light gold syrupy liquid onto it. Rainbow immediately scrunched up her face and backed off a step. "Oh, dude! Gross!"

Twilight made a face too, but she didn't pull back. She was more interested in what the plant-girl was doing. Willow drooled on the leaves before placing them over Tyr's wounds like a bandage. She then tied it in place with a thin vine that she pulled off of herself. Without losing a beat, she quickly repeated the process for each of the bigger wounds that Tyr had. He hissed softly. "You're right, that does sting."

"Sorry," Willow said with a soft smile. "It should fade with time."

"What is that liquid?" Twilight asked. Willow glanced up at her, and a dark color rose on her cheeks—a blush.

"It's… um… it's my sap." The color darkened even more. "It's a little embarrassing… But it's close to what humans consider spit."

"I see…"

"I'm done," Willow said, standing up. Tyr stood up as well. He rotated his arms and glanced over himself.

"I feel a lot better, Willow," He said, smiling at her. "Thanks."

"Oh, don't mention it."

A noise came from Passion's pocket, and she extracted a cell phone from her pocket. She moved a short distance away to answer it. Twilight took the time to question Willow. "So, Willow! You're a plant right?"

"Um… kinda."

"So you photosynthesize and all?"

"Yes, I do. I drink a lot of water too."

Twilight made a note of that in a notepad she had on hand. "So are there any more like you?"

Willow's face contorted into one of sadness for only a split second. "…No. I'm the only one."

"Oh… I'm so sorry…" Twilight frowned and lowered her notepad. "I'm… I'm so sorry. That was insensitive of me, wasn't it?"

"No, it's okay. I've never really had people interested in me like that before. Papa says it's because most people wouldn't understand what I am."

"Considering you're a plant in the shape of a girl, or a girl made of plants, I can understand," Tyr said. "But that's beside the point. You helped us out, so thank you."

Willow stared at him for a long moment, blush returning to her face. She looked away shyly. "Y-you're welcome."

Passion came back over. "Well, it's been fun, but it's time for us to go. Isabel says that she kept as many civilians safe as possible. Plus she says a redheaded girl was protecting a group of people as well."

"That sounds like Grace," Luna said thoughtfully.

"Nice to hear she's doing her job," Rainbow said with a chuckle.

"Well," Passion said, "We have to go. Can't overstay our welcome."

"Tell your father thanks," Tyr said. Passion nodded back, a small smile on her face.

"I will! Come on Willow, let's go home." She waved up at the house. "See ya, Sherry!"

Sherry waved back, and almost like turning out a light, Passion and Willow vanished. So did the fallen body of Taurus and all the slain Zodiac troopers. It was like they hadn't existed at all. "Now that… that's just weird," Applejack murmured.

"Seconded," Rainbow said. "But it's over, right? No more fighting?"

"That would seem to be the case," Luna said. "Whatever this attack was, it was aimed at my sister and I."

"Seems humanity isn't the only thing trying to kill us," Applejack said, before throwing a worried glance at Tyr. "No offense, sugarcube."

"None taken," Tyr said with a chuckle. "To be honest, if it made you guys any safer, I'd want you to go back to Equestria."

There was silence. For a moment, Tyr thought he had said something wrong, but Luna quickly allayed his fears by wrapping him in her arms. "Oh beloved. To know that you think so much of us…"

"You really are a true friend, sugar," Applejack said, resting a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Come on guys," Twilight said, a small smile on her face. "Let's get back to everyone else."

* * *

 **The plot thickens. A threat has been dealt with... for now. Zodiac will make another appearance for sure, although their involvement may be a bit more subtle next time. After all, they can't have Jehu's family leap in and interfere every single time, now can they?  
**

 **Irregardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Read, review, and comment (hopefully follow and favorite too), and look forward to the next chapter!**

 **Zaijian! (This one's Chinese. Not completely sure how to add in all the accents and stuff though.)**


	30. Chapter 29: Return to Normalcy

**Merry Christmas, Fanfiction Community! Hope your day has been as merry as mine!**

 **Just finished opening all my gifts, and was quite pleased! And then i realized: Oh crap, today's a Friday! Posting day!**

 **But I was prepared. and Because of all the Christmas Spirit, I'd like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas with a double post! :D**

 **I hope you enjoy! (BTW my normal goodbye will be tacked on to the end of the next chapter)**

* * *

Chapter 29: Return to Normalcy

"So that is all, I see," Celestia said thoughtfully. She rested her fingers together as she leaned on her desk. Luna sat just off to the side, aimlessly running her hands over her stomach. Before her stood hers and her sister's four knights, each standing at attention. Twilight sat in a chair along one wall, eyes glued to her laptop. Celestia regarded them all for a long minute. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "I suppose we should be thankful to those Zodiac soldiers for only targeting my sister and I primarily."

"They attacked me as well," Grace pointed out. "Although I believe they were doing an aggressive search for you, Princess Celestia. Around the time you said they began attacking you, they stopped attacking everywhere else."

"And the one that attacked us brought his entire force to bear on us," Luna said. "If it wasn't for the timely intervention of Jehu's children…"

"The magic they used was unlike anything we'd ever seen in Equestria," Twilight said. "Both those soldiers and those two girls. Although it didn't seem like that Passion girl was using magic until that last attack."

"While those soldiers were using it the whole time to fend us off," Ace said.

"We can't develop countermeasures for what we don't know," Twilight asserted.

Celestia nodded. "Then we should begin learning. Twilight Sparkle, I want you to learn as much as you can about our new enemies. Flash, Ace, I want you to investigate the old. Grace, stay with my sister and Tyr."

Grace blinked. "Stay with…?"

"I mean, you will be moving in for the time being."

Luna began to protest almost immediately. "Sister, I do not need—"

"Before you begin complaining," Celestia said with a small chuckle. "I am only asking Grace, who is your knight after all. Surely it won't bother you to have her around?"

"Well… I mean…"

"I thought Tyr was already filling his house with plenty of women already?" She said with a smirk. Both Tyr and Luna looked a little embarrassed.

"I was just helping someone out," Tyr said honestly.

Celestia giggled. "I know. It is your kind heart that draws people to you, Tyr. Do not lose that aspect of yourself."

"Um… of course, Princess."

"I suppose its fine," Luna said with a sigh. "However, it is beginning to seem like we're running a hotel, not a house."

"Hey, look. Trixie is only going to stay for a little while longer, and Grace is just going to be with us for a while," Tyr argued. "Besides, it's not that bad having other people in the house. It would feel really empty otherwise."

"True enough."

"Well, I'll be in your care," Grace said, bowing slightly.

"Chrys will have a room ready for you once we get home," Tyr told her. "So you should probably run home and gather your things."

"Alright, I'll meet you guys back at Tyr's home." She bowed again, this time to Celestia. "I hope to see you soon, Princess."

"As do I, Grace," Celestia said. The red headed woman nodded and left the room. Luna rose from her seat.

"I suppose we should take our leave as well, Sister," She said. She moved over to Tyr, who put an arm around her to support her. It was another of those moments that reminded Celestia of her previous conversation with Flash and Twilight. She hadn't spoken of it to Luna yet, and she was dreading having the conversation with Tyr. Hopefully, it just came up naturally. Hopefully. She forced a quick smile onto her face.

"Ah, yes. Do be safe, Lulu."

"I'll make sure of that," Tyr said with a smile. He and Luna left, leaving Celestia alone with her two knights. The morning haired woman let her smile linger for a bit before it vanished completely. She slowly laid her head on the desk. Ace and Flash shared a worried look just before she spoke.

"I'm tired," She complained quietly. The two men standing in the room let out sighs before smiling softly.

"We know, Princess," Ace said. "We know."

Flash chuckled. "I'll call the usual cake place."

-x-

"Another woman moves in with us?" Chrys said with a chuckle. "Perhaps I was wrong, Trixie. Perhaps our Master isn't too opposed to having multiple women!"

"What on earth did I come home to," Tyr muttered, helping Luna over to a seat. His Changeling and his new housemate were sitting in the living room, having some sort of conversation as they arrived home.

"You tell me, Master," Chrys said, hopping up from her seat to slide up beside Tyr. She wrapped her arms around him. "What is this about Miss Saving Grace moving in with us?"

"Isn't that Princess Luna's other knight?" Trixie asked. "Trixie remembers hearing of her."

"Grace is only staying with us as a safety precaution," Tyr pointed out. He frowned, mind jumping back to the beginning of the conversation. "Chrys."

"Yes, my Master?" Chrys purred.

"…You said _our_ Master. What the hell?"

"Oh that? I simply explained to Trixie her place in the house."

Tyr glanced at Trixie, who looked away with a deep blush on her face. "I was… erm, Trixie was informed that that was the proper way to address you, Master."

"Nope. No way. Trixie, you don't have to call me Master."

"Unless you're submitting to his will," Fenrir pointed out, appearing in her humanoid form on Tyr's shoulder. "Cause then, you'd have to call him Master anyway."

"He is a wonderful Master, is he not?" Chrys said, giggling. "It wouldn't be too hard to validate giving your life into his hands."

"Alright, conversation over," Tyr said, shaking Chrys off. Fenrir hopped off of his shoulder and lay across the back of the couch. He went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of juice. He found Snow trying to get down from the top of the fridge. "…How did you get up there…?"

The little kitten meowed in response before leaping off the fridge to the top of his head, and then to the counter. Freed from his perch, he made a beeline to his owner. "Oh, Snow! I was wondering where you got off to."

"Cat's a ninja," Tyr muttered.

Despite all the craziness, Luna was laughing. "You know, to be honest, it is nice to be home. Home where there are not any crazy people attempting to kill me."

"Trixie has always found peace to be much more comfortable," Trixie agreed, sitting back in her chair. "Preferable, as well."

"Fair enough," Tyr said with a smile. He then glanced at the stairwell. "What's Sherry up to?"

"Says she was playing a game online," Chrys said, playing with Snow. "She closed the door."

"Hm. I'm going to go talk to her." With that, Tyr headed upstairs and to the game room. He needed to talk to Sherry, to see how she was feeling after the other day. Witnessing death and the like would have no doubt unnerved her. Hopefully he could comfort her. Much like Chrys had told him, he found the door closed. He knocked lightly. "Sherry? You in there?"

There was silence for a moment. "…Is that you, dad?" Sherry's voice asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's me. Can I come in?"

"…Sure. Give me a second. Rubrik: Allow."

There was a sound from the other side, and then Sherry opened the door slightly. Tyr found the girl looked extremely despondent and there was darkness in her eyes. She moved aside to let her father enter. As Tyr came in, he could see the purple rune stones lining the wall around the door. "…You can control it?"

"I'm learning," Sherry said softly, sitting back on the middle couch. Tyr sat beside her, waiting for her to speak. She continued a minute later. "…Are the Princesses dangerous?"

Tyr felt a bit of a chill at her words, but did his best not to show it. "What do you mean, Sherry?"

"I mean, are the Princesses so dangerous that people need to kill them?" Sherry turned to her father, pleas in her eyes. "Why can't people just… accept us?"

Tyr pulled the girl into a hug. "Sherry. Humans have a terrible habit of fearing things they don't understand."

"But… you're not afraid of Luna or Celestia! You love Luna, don't you?"

"Of course I do, sweetie. And I love you, and all my friends."

"Then why…?"

"Because a lot of people aren't like me," Tyr answered honestly. "I know it was a lot more peaceful in Equestria than here, so fighting with weapons was probably rare. But that sort of thing is deeply ingrained in human history… even mine."

"I remember," Sherry said. "You had to kill bad people, right?"

Tyr nodded. "And even some that were not so evil. I had to do what I was told, and some of those orders meant someone's life had to end. I won't be so cold as to say that's the way it was, but each death still weighs on me." He sighed. "I wish life was more black and white. But other times its more gray and gray than we think."

Sherry was quiet for a long minute, obviously considering her next words. "…I killed one. One of the Zodiac men."

"What?" Tyr glanced down at her, shock on his face. He had been so focused on surviving his bout with Taurus that he hadn't seen any of the Zodiac soldiers get past him. The girl in his arms shivered.

"One of the men got inside… and he attacked Rarity. I didn't think , I just asked Rubrik to protect her…"

"…It's okay, baby. Those men would have hurt you if you hadn't done anything. You protected yourself and Rarity." He squeezed her tight. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I was so scared…"

"I'll never let anyone hurt you, Sherry. Never."

"…Thanks, dad."

"You gonna be alright in here?" He looked around. "You want me to stay?"

Sherry shook her head and gently detached herself from her father. "I'm… okay. I just want to ask…"

"What is it?"

"Is it always so… cold when someone dies?"

Tyr was momentarily taken back to his time on the force, the cold feel of a rifle butt against his face and that cold sinking feeling in his soul whenever he had to pull the trigger. At a distance, it was easier to detach yourself from the act. But at the distance one could reach out and touch another… it was a dark place he quickly shook off. When he finally replied, his voice was quiet and somewhat far away. "…Yeah. That never changes."

"…I don't want to have to kill anyone ever again."

"Same here, love. Same here."

"Alright. I'm good now dad. Honest." Sherry smiled over at him. "I'll be fine."

"If you ever need to talk, we're all here for you."

Sherry's smile lessened just a bit, before she nodded. "I'll be alright. Just won't be playing Call of Duty or anything for a while."

"Alright love." Tyr kissed her forehead. "I'll be by to check on you later. I just remembered I have to go restock our food supplies. We're feeding five people now."

Sherry waved goodbye as her father left the room. She sat for a moment regarding the walls, unwilling to play anything. Death wasn't a new concept for her—she had seen plenty of death in her short time alive. That was something she wished was different. But this time… this was the first time she had _caused_ a death. She was the reason another living being was gone. She shivered. Despite it being someone out to hurt her and her friends, it still gave her a chill every time she remembered it.

~Help me~

"I would if I could," Sherry whispered to the cube lying on the couch beside her. "I would if I could."

-x-

"Found you!"

Ace barely had time to register what was happening before he had violet hair all in his face. By the time he had managed to figure out what was happening, he was surrounded by color. And the brightest of the bunch was eating his cake. "Hey!"

"You were done with it, right?" Rainbow said, already scarfing down his slice of cake.

"Oh, come on, Dashie! I was eating that!"

"Not anymore," Rainbow said with a chuckle, tossing a piece up to Scootaloo, who was hanging off Ace's neck. The younger girl caught the piece of cake deftly in her mouth and swallowed.

"Mm, that's good!" Scootaloo said happily.

"Damn it, you two…" Ace muttered. Flash, off to the side chuckled as he continued eating. "Hey, you're just lucky Twilight isn't here!"

"Where is Egghead anyway?" Rainbow asked, looking around. "She came here today, didn't she?"

"She's off to go look up info on those guys that attacked us the other day," Flash said, holding his cake just out of Scootaloo's reach. "Seems she heard of a library with all sorts of old tomes and whatnot."

"Leave it to Twilight to go running off at the sound of books," Rainbow laughed. "Surprised she didn't take you, Flash."

"She took Spike. She told me I'd be better off staying here."

"And keeping me company," Ace quipped, earning himself a playful punch in the arm. Rainbow frowned.

"What, I'm not company enough for you?"

"Oh, don't start," Ace said with a chuckle, reaching out to mess with her hair. "I'd rather be spending time with you anyway. Flash is no fun."

"I'm plenty fun," Flash protested.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

"So where did this cake come from anyway?" Scootaloo asked. She frowned in consternation as Flash again managed to guess where she was going to try grabbing his cake from again.

"Princess Celestia ordered it," Flash explained. "She was… in the mood."

"Some kind of mood," Rainbow commented with a chuckle. She glanced over at Flash, who was watching her intently. "…See something you like, Flash?"

Her tone was teasing, but it only got a frown out of him. "…You're growing your hair out."

"You noticed? I thought I was being cool about it." She reached up to finger the ends of her hair, which now came just a little past her shoulders. Its rainbow coloration seemed a bit fuller now. Even Flash had to admit it looked good on her.

"Well, it certainly doesn't look bad," Flash said impartially. He couldn't just go around telling his friend's fiancés that they were attractive, could he? He doubted Twi was the jealous sort, however knowing that even giving one compliment to Rainbow would result in no end of teasing, he kept his compliment as impartial as possible.

"It's kinda nice having long hair," Rainbow said, smirking. "Although I can't see myself growing it as long as Flutters."

"That would be impressive in its own right," Ace said with a smirk. "I don't even know how Fluttershy handles all of that hair."

"I used to help her a lot," Rainbow pointed out. "Applejack's probably helping her with it now."

The inflection on her voice was a bit wistful, Ace noticed. There was no wonder—Fluttershy had been Rainbow's closest friend, and now because of their respective relationships, they probably didn't see each other that much. Ace could sympathize. He and Flash had grown slightly distant when Flash had started dating Twilight. However, it had only lasted a little while. Both of the men were still close friends. Deciding to speak up in order to break his girlfriend out of any moods she might get into, Ace spoke. "Well, who knows. Applejack might have her just wearing it in the same loose ponytail like she wears hers."

"Or maybe Fluttershy gets AJ into getting her own hair done," Flash joked. "Can you imagine it? Applejack with her hair all shiny and whatnot?"

Rainbow chuckled. "You probably didn't see her at the Gala then…"

"We were on guard duty all night," Ace pointed out. "We didn't get much free time in order to… socialize."

"Perhaps I should rectify that in the future," Celestia said, walking over. The three of them seemed quite surprised at her sudden arrival, her two knights attempting to stand at attention. "No, please, sit. At this moment, I am not your princess. I am simply a friend that wishes to spend time with those she cares about."

Flash and Ace stayed frozen for a moment, before reluctantly lowering themselves back into their seats. Celestia magically pulled a chair over so that she could sit as part of their little circle. "Well… this is terrifying," Ace muttered.

"Seconded," Flash said.

"Come now, boys," Celestia admonished. "You've spent years by my side. How can something like this be worry some?"

"You're our boss," Ace pointed out.

"Plus, you're a Princess," Rainbow said.

Celestia looked a little upset. "That didn't stop them from ogling me in my swimsuit when we went to the beach."

"Well that's… hey! That is true!"

"Not true!" Ace protest immediately. "…Well, partially true. But I spent more time ogling Rainbow!"

The girl in question blushed furiously. "Is that actually the best way to defend yourself?" She asked quietly, nudging Ace. He chuckled nervously.

"…right."

"What's your excuse, Flash?" Celestia asked, turning to the blue-haired man. Flash stared back at her without any sort of emotion in his face.

"I have no regrets," He said simply. "Besides, your swimsuit _was_ pretty revealing."

"It was on purpose."

"…You cruel, cruel woman."

Celestia giggled. "I do like teasing you two."

Flash opened his mouth to complain, but his phone suddenly beeped. He pulled it out smoothly, Scootaloo climbing up onto his shoulders to see. "Ooh, it's Twilight."

"Off, hummingbird," Flash murmured, one wing snapping outward and pushing Scootaloo gently to the floor.

"…Hummingbird?" Scootaloo murmured, confused. "Isn't that that little bird that's always flying around?"

"Yeah. You remind me of one."

"I…" She frowned, and then smiled. "I kinda like that."

"Well, that's my nickname for you now. Confirmed!" He tapped her on the head playfully. The younger girl giggled.

"Has Twilight found something?" Celestia asked. She had worried about her former student and her assistant since they had left.

"She says she's found some really old books at the library she was at. Seems she's getting into full study mode."

"Leave it to Egghead to get caught up in dusty old books," Rainbow said with a shrug. "But I guess if anyone's gonna find something, It'll be her."

-x-

"Tell me again why I'm doing this?"

"Applejack darling, you've asked that for the umpteenth time already."

"Silly Rare-bear, umpteenth isn't a word!"

"Actually Pinkie, it is a word."

"Yeah, Pinkie, Shy's right."

Pinkie gasped loudly and jumped up to her feet, towel hanging precariously off of her head. "This. Changes. EVERYTHING."

Rarity pulled Pinkie down to sit back on the bench beside her, another gout of steam rushing into the sauna. "Pinkie-winkle, calm down."

"Aw, but you get to make big deals out of little things!"

"What? No I do not!"

Applejack chuckled. "Yeah you do, Rare. You do it so often it's like everything is a crisis to ya."

"Now that is not true!"

Pinkie frowned. "But just yesterday you were all worried about Sweetie Bell spilling a bottle of ink, and you even got your fainting couch…"

"AHEM!" Rarity cleared her throat loudly, covering Pinkie's mouth with her hand. Fluttershy and Applejack giggled while Rarity blushed deeply. "A-anyway, back to you two, my darlings. How are you doing?"

"We're doing good," Fluttershy said with a soft smile. "I'm usually just helping Granny Smith out in the house while Jackie works or at the veterinarian's office."

"We're starting to get into the slow season," Applejack said. "So I try to spend as much time with Fluttershy as I can."

"My," Rarity said with a smile, releasing Pinkie. "That is adorable!"

"There was another thing," Fluttershy said softly. Rarity glanced over at her with a look of confusion on her face.

"What is it, darling?"

"Jackie and I were… um… well, Rainbow and Princess Luna… um…"

She trailed off, blush overtaking her face. Applejack was likewise embarrassed, looking at the wall beside her. Rarity watched them both for the longest time before she connected the dots. "YOU TWO WANT TO GET MARRIED!?"

"Shh!" Fluttershy shushed her, blush deepening.

"Celestia's hooves, you got louder than a stuck pig," Applejack said, blushing as well. "Wanna just tell the world our business?"

"Oh!" Rarity covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry darling, I was just surprised! I didn't think… I wasn't certain you had any ideas towards that."

"It was Jackie's idea," Fluttershy said, reaching over to grasp one of Applejack's hands. The farm girl was surprised by the gesture, but twisted her fingers into Fluttershy's without argument. "She actually brought it up some time ago."

"That's cool!" Pinkie giggled.

"When did you want to do it?" Rarity asked. Her mind was already running through ideas for wedding dresses.

"Well…" Fluttershy frowned. "I mean, Rainbow Dash and Ace Guard are getting married… and so are Tyr and Princess Luna… we'd hate to drag people between three weddings…"

"Plus we were thinking to wait a bit anyway," Applejack said with a nervous smile. "No need to go rushing into things, right?"

Rarity frowned, but she knew both where girls were coming from. Fluttershy was too shy to rush into a relationship, especially with something as serious as marriage. Applejack was a traditionalist at heart, and most likely wanted to take time to make sure that marrying Fluttershy would be the right decision. Their hearts were connected, but still separated. Even the seamstress herself found herself worrying at times that Pinkie wasn't looking forward to marriage. It was times like these she wished had Rainbow Dash's lack of worry. Their rainbow haired friend had found the man she loved and snatched him up immediately. Even Twilight and Flash getting married was all but certain. She sighed. "I… I suppose you're right, darling."

"I think it's time for me to get out," Fluttershy said. "I think the heat is starting to get to me."

"Yeah, I reckon it's a good a time as any," Applejack agreed. She and Fluttershy got up and moved to the sauna doors, but the farm girl stopped just shy of leaving. "You guys coming?"

"I'll be out in a minute," Rarity said. "I just… wanted to stay just a bit longer."

"I'll stay with Rarity," Pinkie said with a soft smile. Applejack shrugged and followed Fluttershy out.

The two women left in the sauna sat in silence for a long minute. It was a long time before Rarity spoke again. "…Pinkie Pie?"

"Are you scared, Rare-bear?" Pinkie asked quietly, laying her head on Rarity's shoulder.

"…Yes."

"I'm not going to leave you," Pinkie reminded her. Rarity smiled despite herself.

"…I know. But… is it for us? Marriage?"

"We don't have to get married right away. We don't have to rush, right?" Rarity's line of thinking was beginning to worry Pinkie. She normally tried her hardest to not think about the hard stuff too much, cause it always gave her really big headaches. However, Rarity was always thinking of things like that, and it was Pinkie's job to console her and keep her mind clear. A worrying Rarity was a bad Rarity, after all.

Rarity nodded slowly. "But… that's not the only thing bothering me…"

"Tell me. You know I'm always ready to listen!" Pinkie extracted a large twisted horn and held it up to her ear. Rarity couldn't help but giggle as she pushed it away.

"Stop that. This is serious!"

"Fine…"

"…I want to have kids."

Pinkie's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "…Kids? You… you really want to have some?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes. Yes I do."

"Then… we could adopt…" Pinkie trailed off. She wasn't against the idea of having children of her own to take care of—she took care of the Cakes' children all the time and she loved it. But…she never ever thought of actually having them. She was a bit surprised to see Rarity shaking her head. "I… I mean, I don't… dunno."

"I know, but… ever since I was a little filly… er, girl, I dreamed of starting my own business, falling in love, getting pregnant, and then finally having my children and watching them grow up to attain everything they ever desired." A dreamy look filled Rarity's eyes, and for a moment Pinkie Pie was afraid the heat had gotten to her. "I fell in love, and my business is booming but…"

"I can't get you pregnant."

Rarity heard the hurt in Pinkie's voice, and it surprised her. She had never expected Pinkie to come to a conclusion like that, and especially not sound so affected by it… Chill running down her spine, Rarity quickly acted to rectify her mistake. "Ah, Pinkie… it's alright. I must be getting a bit loopy from the heat. Come, let's continue. Applejack and Fluttershy are probably worried about us."

"…Yeah, you're right." Pinkie's smile returned. "We have plenty of time to talk about all that!"

They left the sauna then, Rarity sighing with both relief and relaxation. "On top of all that, we don't have to deal with any more business from those Zodiac people for a while!"

-x-

"Oh, Sherry!" Luna spoke up in surprise, seeing the young girl come down the stairs. Luna was sitting on the couch beside Grace, the redheaded knight gently stroking a purring Snow.

"Hello Sherry," Grace said with a smile.

"Hey, Grace," Sherry said, smiling at them. She came into the living room, sitting in a nearby chair. Snow hopped out of Grace's hands to go paw at Sherry's leg, getting her to pick him up. "Hey mom. Where's daddy?"

"He's out," Grace said. "He, Trixie and Chrys are still out shopping."

"Are you feeling better, Sherry?" Luna asked. "Tyr told me about how you were feeling…"

Sherry was silent for a long moment. She got up, moved over to Luna's other side, and sat down. Without a word, she laid her head in Luna's lap. The princess of the night needed no explanation and simply began stroking her hair. Grace frowned. "What happened…?"

"Sherry used the Rubrik in order to defend herself and Rarity," Luna explained. "She had to kill a Zodiac soldier."

"By the night…" Grace murmured, looking down at the girl. "Are you okay…?"

Sherry sat up then, the sudden motion startling Snow and dropping him to the floor. "I'll be fine," Sherry said softly. "But I realize something now."

"What is that?"

"I'm going to learn how to use the Rubrik better," She said, reaching up to grab the cube around her neck. It glowed softly. "There is a lot I don't know about it yet, and I'm going to learn."

"A noble venture," Luna agreed. "If you ever need help…"

"I won't hesitate to ask. But… there is one thing I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Have you ever… killed?"

Both of the older women paused at that. Luna sighed, resigning herself to answering. "…Yes, I have. My sister and I had to take that option against some of the threats to our people when Equestria was still young. Our memories are long as well, and what we had to do weighs on our hearts to this day."

"Yet you both don't seem… broken."

"Because we came to terms with it," Luna explained, looking out the window. "…I still remember the first time Tia had to take a life. She cried for days afterwards. I, on the other hand, had resolved to not be affected as heavily, and I spent my time forcing my dreams into nightmares to prepare. But when it finally happened…" She trailed off, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. "…I was unprepared. Completely. It is a feeling I will never forget. And I assume as much is the same with you."

Sherry nodded. "What do I do?"

"Some gain pleasure from the feeling. But it is much easier to accept that pain and move forward, accepting that sacrifices will have to be made. But never shy away from duty," Luna warned, turning back to her newly made daughter. "If that option is the only thing left to you, no matter how hard you try, you must be prepared to shoulder the burden."

"She's right," Grace agreed. "I spent almost an hour throwing up after the event in the mall. But when I was fighting the Zodiac… I had realized that some people can't be negotiated with. So I simply reminded myself that I was protecting others, and that I was doing what I had to. It doesn't make it easier to do, but it does help you cope."

Sherry thought for a long moment. Both Luna and Grace were much older than her, and they both had taken killing someone just as hard. She glanced down at the cube. "…Thanks. You guys… It means a lot that you would go so far to explain your experiences."

"We just want to help," Grace said.

"Well, I'm glad to have everyone so worried about me," Sherry said with a smile. "Rarity and Fluttershy texted me today as well to check on me."

Luna reached over to put a hand on her head. "We're just worried about you."

"I'll be alright. My father is the bodyguard to a Princess, right?"

"That he is," Luna said with a chuckle. "And your mother is a Princess."

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course, my dear."

Grace giggled. "You guys make a cute family."

"Do you have a family of your own, Grace?" Luna asked, glancing over at her knight. She had thought several times she didn't know much about the red-haired woman, and this was an opportunity to ask.

"I was an only child," Grace said with a shrug. "My mother passed away when I was young. I learned first aid really early, and a lot of times I was busy healing my friends whenever they got hurt. My family was the friends I lived with."

"I see… I am sorry to hear about your mother."

"She was sick, and I never blamed anyone." Grace said with a smile. "It's alright."

"…If you say so."

"Well, I've been working all day," Grace stood up then, stretching a bit as she did so. "I think I'll go take a shower and go to bed early."

"Sleep tight!" Sherry said.

"I'll make sure you are not bothered by any harsh dreams," Luna assured her.

Grace smiled. "Thanks for that, Princess. Tell Tyr I'll talk to him in the morning." She left them then, going upstairs to her room first and then quickly to the bathroom. As she undressed, her eyes were drawn to her back. A massive patchwork of tattoos covered her skin, from crosses to angelic imagery mirrored by demonic images. The entire thing almost looked like a work of art. In Equestria, it had been concealed by magic, but in the human world, she could simply cover it with clothing. Latin words framed a bright silver dove, and Grace found herself murmuring the words almost like a spell incantation. " _Conservandi vitam meam._ "

The words had been with her ever since her mother had died and she had gained her Cutie Mark. They had reminded her of her one purpose, the one thing she dedicated her life to.

To Save a Life not her own.

Each and every tattoo was a mark that reminded her of a life she had saved, of someone who now lived because of her and her magic. At last count, the number of tattoos numbered almost three hundred separate pictures. On top of reminding her of her of the people she had helped, it also reminded her that she would have to keep going. Until there was no more space on her skin, she would keep going, and even past that. That would be her penance. Those she left behind would be happy for her. She was going to honor their memories no matter what.

-x-

"Why do you only pick up sweet things?" Chrys snapped, frowning at the package Trixie dropped into their cart.

"Trixie likes sweet things," Trixie countered, sticking out her tongue. "And what does it matter to someone who cannot eat food anyway?"

The two women began to bicker, as they had since arriving at the grocery store. Tyr rolled his eyes as he gathered up the things on his list. [Chrissy, do you have to argue with every other woman we hang around?]

[Not particularly] Chrys thought back. [Would you like me to stop?]

[I just want you to get along]

[Ah, I see. You're worried we are not getting along] Chrys turned to Trixie. "Illusionist."

"My name is Trixie!" Trixie fumed.

"Do you hate me?"

Trixie seemed quite taken aback by the sudden question. "W-what? Where did that come from?"

"I was curious. We have been arguing."

"Well… It is true we do not see eye to eye, but that gives me no reason to hate you."

Chrys turned and smiled at Tyr. "Is that alright, Master?"

Tyr frowned. "Yeah, whatever. Take this list and go get the rest of this stuff."

"As you will, Master." Chrys took the list and went off into the store. That left Trixie alone with Tyr. She kept her distance, something that Tyr noticed immediately.

"…Something up?"

"Ah… nothing at all, Tyr."

"Then why are you standing so far away? Are we not friends?"

"Y-yes, we are!" Trixie said hurriedly. Tyr suppressed a chuckle, remembering Chrys acting the same way. "I was simply scared of upsetting the Princess…"

"Luna threatened you? It may just be hormones," Tyr pointed out with a chuckle. Trixie blinked as she considered the possibility. "But it's alright. Hanging out isn't going to make her hurt you or anything."

"…You are certain of this?"

"Very certain."

"…Very well then." Trixie moved over closer, Tyr's welcoming smile putting her at ease. They resumed shopping, making small talk as they went along. Tyr found that Trixie was a very interesting individual, with stories about almost every place in Equestria. She was very well travelled. They were talking about a hillside community Trixie visited called Manetown when Tyr bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." He blinked away blonde hair that had gotten into his eyes.

"That voice…" It was a woman Tyr had run into, and he was faced with a face he had long since forced to the back of his mind. The woman was pretty, and her long blonde hair was highlighted with black. Her makeup was heavy, and her bright red lips parted slightly as she looked into his silver eyes with her brown ones. "…Tyr!?"

Trixie looked between the blonde woman and her friend. "…Um, Tyr? Who is this woman?"

"Vanessa," Tyr spoke her name quietly. He narrowed his eyes. "…My ex-girlfriend."


	31. Chapter 30: Green Eyed Monster

**A shorter chapter, but I'm pretty sure if you read the last one you'd bee looking for a conclusion. Luckily, you don't have to wait a week this time. :D**

* * *

Chapter 30: Green Eyed Monster

"Tyr, it is you!" Vanessa squealed with delight and threw her arms around the sour-faced man. "It's been what, two years since we last spoke?"

"Four," Tyr said coldly, frowning. "What are you doing here, Vanessa?"

"Oh come now, call me Nessie like you did while we were dating." Vanessa giggled, pushing him out to arms-length. "You're looking good. How have you been doing?"

"I'm doing fine. I've been keeping busy."

"I've missed you! And—oh, who's this?" Her eyes fell on Trixie, who flinched back from the slightly hostile gaze. "A new girlfriend?"

"You make it sound like it's your business." Tyr's tone was even, but the venom in his words was almost dripping from them. "Trixie is a friend of mine."

"Just a friend, huh?"

"…What are you doing here, Vanessa?"

"Just came by to see you! Imagine my surprise to run into you here! Especially with an Equestrian, of all people."

"What does my race have to do with anything?" Trixie asked, genuinely confused. Vanessa ignored her, keeping her train of questions focused on Tyr.

"But you always were too nice for your own good, Ty." Vanessa giggled. Tyr's eyes narrowed.

"Why on earth do you insist on calling me that? My name is short enough as it is," Tyr replied evenly.

"Because I like having a pet name for you."

"Quit it. We aren't together anymore."

"Aw, come now, Ty. I broke up with you because I was scared."

"Scared of what? Commitment?"

"You were in harm's way every day!" Vanessa claimed, anger furrowing her brows. "How was I supposed to know if you'd come home or I'd have to go visit you in the hospital?"

"Small sacrifices, you know."

Vanessa pinched the bridge of her nose. "Wait. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. He looked extremely skeptical. "…Then what?"

The blonde girl before him smiled softly. "I was wondering if… well, if you weren't busy this week, maybe we could hang out? Just to catch up."

"Just to catch up?" Tyr opened his mouth to spill his frustration at the nerve of the girl in front of him, when a soft voice called to him from down the aisle.

"Master," Chrys said, coming over with some assorted groceries held in her green magical aura. "I have retrieved the things on your list."

Tyr caught himself before letting out a deep breath. "…Thank you, Chrissy." He meant it in more than one way, and the Changeling simply inclined her head respectfully as she brought the things over to the cart and put them in.

"Master?" Vanessa repeated, confused. "What weird kink have you gotten into, Ty?"

"I simply belong to my Master and do whatever he wills," Chrys said softly, moving beside Tyr. She tilted her head slightly upwards to show off her collar. "And I am grateful to him every day for his affection."

"What the hell… You're… you've changed over the years, Tyr."

"Of course I have," Tyr replied, frowning again. "Doesn't seem like you have."

Vanessa shook her head and reached out to grab Tyr's arm. The man almost instantly jerked away from her. "Tyr, come on baby. We were both young back then. We weren't thinking straight. I got scared, you got angry, and we never dealt with the problem, right? So let's—"

"Trixie is beginning to grow hungry," Trixie said loudly, pushing past Vanessa roughly. "We should away from this place."

"I agree with Trixie," Chrys said. She glanced over at Tyr. "I grow tired of this place. You need to make dinner regardless, Master."

"True enough," Tyr said. He looked over at Vanessa. "…Nice to see you, Nessie."

Vanessa stared in dumbfounded shock as Tyr walked away from her, pushing the cart full of food. Chrys followed a step behind him, keeping pace. The Changeling glanced over her shoulder back at the blonde woman and smirked. As they got into the checkout line behind a thoroughly miffed Trixie, Chrys glanced over at her Master. [You lied through your teeth, Master] She thought. [You were not happy to see her]

Tyr gave her a flat look. [I'm not Applejack, am I?]

Chrys giggled softly and leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder. [No, I suppose not]

"That woman was insufferable!" Trixie seethed. "Does she not know how rude it is to act like that?"

"I agree," Chrys said. "I was only a command away to gleefully cutting her throat."

"Now, Chrissy, I appreciate the thought," Tyr said with a chuckle, "But that won't be necessary."

"Are you sure? I can run back and do it quickly. She wouldn't even see me coming."

Tyr chuckled, imagining Chrys sneaking up on Vanessa and pouncing on her like a lioness stalking her prey. If it had been three years ago, he might have taken her up on the offer. "No my dear, leave her be. She's an old flame I put out a long time ago."

"She seemed very adamant about getting back with you," Trixie added. She glanced over at him with a curious look in her eyes. "Were you two close?"

"I once considered she was worth marrying," Tyr said. "But she broke up with me one day and left town. This is the first time I've seen her in four years."

"And she has the nerve to try and walk back into your life like nothing happened? How dare she!?"

Truth be told, Tyr was surprised. Trixie had barely been with them for a month, and she was being this defensive of him? Well, she never hesitated to remind him that he was the first friend she had, so maybe that held a lot more weight with her than he thought. "I appreciate you two. Vanessa has always been pushy, and I think it was a shock to her to get brushed off like that."

"She deserved it for breaking my Master's heart," Chrys said coldly.

"Thanks." Tyr paid for their things and they took it out to his truck, securing it in the flatbed. As they were beginning to pull away, Chrys spoke up again.

"Are you sure you do not want me to end her? I would only take a minute."

"No, I'm sure, Chrissy. Do not go and kill my ex-girlfriend."

Chrys rolled her eyes, obviously disappointed. "Fine…"

-x-

"Um… excuse me?" Grace entered Vulcanis hesitantly, looking around at the assortment of tools arrayed on the walls. She had come in wondering about getting a different type of sword, and if there were any needles she could buy. Tyr had explained to her that if the shop didn't have it, they could make it, and that all she had to do was ask the shop keeper. Who seemed to be out at the moment…? "Is anyone here?"

"One moment, please!" A voice called from the back. A huge gout of flame rushed from a side door before quickly receding back. A moment later, smoke billowed out. "Aw, damn my fool self! Blasted tongs and their faulty pins…"

"Is something wrong?"

Vanna came walking out of the side door, coughing up smoke. He was covered in smoke dust from head to toe, and he took a moment to dust himself off. He coughed again just before he spoke. "Damn. I guess that's why my pa told me not to smoke. Burns the throat don't it?" He smiled over at his customer. "Hello, my pretty. What can I do you for?"

"If your throat is hurting, I could help," Grace offered. Vanna seemed a bit taken aback.

"And how might you do that, if you don't mind my asking?"

Grace motioned the cross-dressing man over. As he did so, she lifted one hand to his throat and let her magic flow, soothing the irritation she felt there. A moment later, and she was done. "How does that feel?"

"Much better!" Vanna grinned. "So you must be that Saving Grace girl Tyr told me about?"

"Tyr told you about me?" Grace looked confused. Tyr hadn't mentioned it to her…

"Yeah, he called and said you might be coming. What do you need?"

"The rapier you made me," Grace said, lifting the weapon from her side and setting it on the counter. "I was wondering if… if it's not too much to ask, could I have a different type?"

"Something sturdier, I reckon? Like a fencing saber or the like?"

"Yes please."

"Lucky you, I got one in the back." Vanna went back into the back room, coming out a moment later with a fencing saber in a black sheath. He pulled it out slightly to show the blade. "This is a fencing saber. It'll be a lot sturdier than that rapier I made, but it's just as light. Just don't go trying to block anything heavier than you, will ya?"

"Thank you very much," Grace said. "What do I owe you?"

Vanna held up one tanned hand. "No charge. Consider it repayment for helping me out."

"What? But what I did was so small… This sword must have taken so much time to make… Its obvious love went into this."

"…You got a good eye, girl," Vanna told her with a grin. "But you're a friend of Tyr. That bastard won't tell anyone, but he saved my life once. Promised him that if he sends anyone to me, they're not getting charged."

"Tyr saved your life?"

"Sure as sure."

"Wow… you must have known him for a long time."

"Yeah, you could say that." Vanna's smile was nostalgic, and he quickly shook it off. "Anything else you need, flame-hair?"

"Flame hair…?" Grace frowned. Well, her hair was bright red, after all. She decided to let the metalsmith have the nickname. "I was wondering if you had anything like these."

She put her pouch full of needles onto the counter. Vanna frowned as he looked inside. "Needles, huh? What do you use them for?"

"…You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You'd be surprised what I'd believe," Vanna told her with a grin.

Grace frowned. "…Alright." She pulled two needles from the pouch. With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed one into the air, magic snatching the other simultaneously and sending it shooting after the first. Vanna stared in shock as the second needle pinned the first against the wall right through the eye.

"By the Forge," Vanna murmured, going over to the wall. "That's some serious aim there, flame-hair."

"It took a lot of practice," Grace admitted. A lot of little hole marks in the wall at home could attest to that. "But now I can use them all at the same time without losing any accuracy."

"That's impressive," Vanna told her with an appreciative nod. He pulled the needle from the wall and walked back over to her, holding the needle between three of his fingers. "So what did you want, more?"

"I was hoping for some, a few of them broke during the chaos the other day." About half of her needles had snapped against the armor of the Zodiacs, and she didn't want that happening again. "Tyr says that tools you make never break."

"Bastard's been hyping me up again, huh?" Vanna chuckled. "I can make you your needles, sure as sure. How many can fit in that pouch?"

"About a thousand."

The number surprised the metalsmith, and the needle in his fingers snapped in two. They both looked down at it in silent surprise. "…I can see why you want stronger ones," Vanna told her with a small laugh. Grace mimicked him, although she was a bit shocked at how easily the metalsmith snapped the needle. Sure, it was thin, but it was still made of metal. Vanna had to be crazy strong to break it like that.

"Can you do it?"

"Can I do it? Course I can!" Vanna grinned. "I've been shaping metal since I could walk and talk. This is no problem; just give me a couple days."

"Well, thank you for your help. I will take care of the saber."

"Treat your tools right and they'll never steer you wrong. Come back anytime." Vanna turned to go, but saw Grace struggling to hook the saber's sheath to her belt. "Ah, let me help you with that."

He moved over to her, brushing hair out of his face so that he could see. He gently moved her hands aside and deftly hooked the weapon to the clip on her belt, adjusting it so that it wouldn't sit awkwardly and was still easy to access. After he was done, he stepped back to let her examine his work. "…That's much better. Thank you again."

"No problem."

Grace turned to leave, making it to the doorway before glancing over her shoulder. "I'll be back in a few days. Oh, and Vanna?"

"Yeah?"

"You look good in a skirt." She winked, and left. Vanna was left to stand there dumbfounded. After a long minute, he smirked and shook his head, going back into the forge area. He chuckled softly to himself.

"That Tyr. Always sending me cute ones."

-x-

Celestia let out a soft sigh as she entered her home. She had only given the guards outside a short greeting before going to her bedroom, changing into pink sweats and a white tank top, and then dropping onto her couch to watch TV. She put on a pair of glasses as well. This was how the Princess of the Sun spent her free time. Working all day had tired her out, and only the time with Ace, Flash, Rainbow and Scootaloo had done anything to restore her mood. Maybe she would go get some ice cream. As she thought that, she heard the voice of one of her guards speak up. "Princess, Captain Ace is here to see you."

"Ace?" Celestia muttered as she put her hair up into a rough ponytail. Did she care if Ace saw her dressed like this? Well, truly it wasn't that big of a deal. "…Let him in."

The front door opened as Celestia moved to one end of the couch, pulling her legs up cross-legged as Ace walked in. He seemed pretty surprised. "Uh… did I catch you at a bad time?" He asked, frowning.

"Not at all. I was simply relaxing after a long day. Does it bother you to see me like this?"

"Well… honestly, I didn't know you dressed like… this."

"I relax at times as well." Celestia pouted. "That surely cannot be too surprising."

"You're wearing sweatpants, Princess," Ace pointed out. "And glasses! I didn't know you wore glasses!"

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Celestia said, smiling. Her expression softened a bit. "So… what did you want to speak to me about?"

She knew he wanted to talk. No one ever stopped by to just hang out with her. And Ace… her snow haired knight looked somewhat distressed, and it bothered her to see him this way. He was always sure of himself, even back when he was more reclusive. Something was eating at him, and she could guess at it.

"I wanted to talk about the other day," Ace said softly.

It was obvious that was what it was, Celestia thought with a sigh. The bloodlust her knight had experienced was nothing new with him, but it had been years since he had last let loose like that. "…What did you want to say?"

"I just want to know… am I safe getting into a relationship? I don't want to hurt Dashie or Scootaloo. Those girls mean too much to me. Is it safe for me to be around them?"

Celestia frowned ever so slightly before motioning to the spot beside her. "…Sit, Ace Guard." She only had to wait a moment for him to obey, leaving them sitting across from each other on her couch. She stayed quiet for a long minute, regarding him from behind her glasses. Without a word she lifted up one hand to rest in over his heart, where the sun marking she had given him during his knighting ceremony resided. She could feel its outline with her magic, a constant reminder that he was in her service until death. A fact that Ace was reminded of every day. "I gave you my mark because I knew you would be strong enough to overcome your own demons to protect others. Was I wrong?"

"No, of course not, Princess." He smiled. "You know my life is yours to use as you see fit."

She sighed. "Ace. Please don't say it like that. You make it sound like I'm willingly putting you in harm's way."

"Sorry," Ace said with a chuckle. "But you know if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here today."

"Don't sell yourself short. All I really did was give you a job."

"What else was I going to do?" Ace gently pushed her hand away. "You know as well as I do, I would have been executed for murder if you didn't conscript me."

Celestia remembered the tale well. After a generation without a member of Honor Guard's family, she had sent her other guards to look into it. What they had found had chilled Celestia to her very bone. As the bloodlust and albino traits that ran in Ace's family only ran through the male line, only Ace could reliably pass the gene on. After his father passed away from old age, Celestia had gone looking for the son he had told her so much about. She found Ace and his sister living—if you could call it that—with their uncle on their mother's side. The stallion known as Blood Oath had, in his jealousy of losing the position of one of Celestia's royal knights to his brother in law, had imprisoned the two children. He had taken out his frustrations on Ace, constantly beating him senseless or simply torturing him. Song… had suffered much worse at the man's hands, the abuse she suffered making it near impossible for her to walk. Ironically, the day Celestia's guards arrived to question Blood Oath; they found the man already dead, killed by Ace's hands. The boy had finally snapped under years of abuse and watching his sister suffer and killed him, Celestia's men finding him covered in blood, scars, and filled with rage. They had reported another thing that day; Ace's Cutie mark had been revealed to be a bloody shield. Following their training, the guardsmen had attempted to restrain the boy, only for him to wound three of them and almost kill the fourth. Only the timely intervention of Heart Song had kept him from either killing them all or getting killed himself. She had sung to him, her voice enveloping them all and calming down her brother. Upon realizing what he had done, Ace had willingly volunteered for execution. Heart Song refused to allow it, threatening to burst the eardrums of the men arresting him if they hurt him.

When the news of the event had reached Celestia, she had ordered the two children brought before her. What she was presented with had almost broken her heart. Ace had come in almost carrying his sister, the distraught girl refusing to allow anyone to touch her for fear of being taken away from her brother. Ace was regretful, but defiant. "You were quiet when we met," Celestia said softly. "I thought for a while that you would not speak."

"I was nervous," Ace admitted with a chuckle. "To be honest, I thought that you were going to execute me yourself."

"Far from it."

"Well, I realized that when you asked me to tell you about what had happened," Ace admitted.

Celestia shivered slightly as she remembered. "You had been through so much at such a young age… I could not punish you for fighting back."

"Instead you took me under your wing and trained me into the man I am today." Ace chuckled and leaned back on the couch. "And I've been in your service ever since."

"And you've served faithfully indeed."

"I owe you my life, Princess."

Celestia smiled. "You'll make a good father and husband, Ace. Do not doubt yourself."

"…Thanks, Princess." Ace looked down at his lap. "You've been so good to me and my sister… I don't know what we would have done without you."

"You'd have found a way. You're very dedicated to Heart Song."

Ace smiled back. "…Yeah. You know, I may have to come by here more often."

Celestia blinked, a bit surprised. "Oh? Why would you do that?"

"Because talking to you… I never got to spend a lot of time with my own mother. When it's like this… it's like you're my mom." He blushed heavily. "Sorry if that's awkward or anything…"

"I… well now." Celestia blushed a bit. "That's… that's quite flattering, Ace. You see me as a mother figure?"

"You practically raised me, Princess. And I'm sure Beat does too."

"…I'm honored. To be honest, you and Beat were the closest I came to actually having children. Twilight always saw me as more of a mentor figure, and Flash was much older when he started his training. You and Beat… I came to care about you as if you were my own family." She smiled softly. "You are welcome in my home any time."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, before Ace finally got up. "Well, I won't stay too long. I've got a fiancé to get home to."

"Be safe, Ace. And come by whenever you wish. Bring Beat and Rainbow Dash if you like."

"I think I will, Princess. I'll check in later."

He left then, leaving Celestia still seated on the couch. Once he was gone, she sighed and leaned back. It had been somewhat comfortable having someone else in her home, and now that her guest was gone, she felt a bit lonely. Maybe she could go visit her sister? But she was already changed… She briefly considered what would happen if she showed up at Tyr's door dressed like she was. Probably would leave the man speechless. She chuckled softly at the thought, but decided against it. She was really just in the mood for cake and ice cream.

-x-

"The hell…?" Tyr murmured, hearing the doorbell ring. It was beginning to get late in the evening, and he was busy making dinner for the inhabitants of his home. All the girls were upstairs in the game room, so none of them would have heard it. They were engrossed in some game that was getting extremely competitive. That left him as the only one to answer it. As he went over to the door, he wondered if it was one of his friends stopping by for something. He found himself pretty disappointed instead.

"Hey Tyr," Vanessa said, smiling.

Tyr had to resist the urge to simply slam the door shut in her face. It was times like this he bemoaned his kind nature. "…Why are you here, Vanessa?"

"I wanted to see if you were still living in that old house, and imagine my surprise! You're living in a castle now!" She grinned. "What, you marry a princess or something?"

Tyr smirked a bit at the irony. "Not exactly."

"So, gonna let me in?"

"Debating on it."

"Oh, come on, Ty! I just wanna come in and talk. Is that out of the question?"

Tyr wanted to say no. _Really_ wanted to say no. But he still couldn't validate shutting the door in her face. "…Fine. You get ten minutes to say what you want, and then you need to go."

He stepped aside to let her enter, frowning slightly as she began looking around at everything. "This place is pretty swag, Ty. You get rich somehow?"

"I have kind friends," Tyr replied evenly, closing the door and going back into the kitchen. He went back to his dinner preparations, Vanessa sitting near the counter to watch him.

She frowned a bit at the amount of vegetables that Tyr was preparing. "So you're getting onto that whole vegan thing too? I don't see how you do it."

"I wasn't a huge meat eater to begin with," Tyr told her. "So it wasn't that big a switch."

"Ugh. I couldn't do it."

"Obviously."

Silence fell. Tyr really didn't want to speak to Vanessa, but he had given her a chance on a whim. Now she didn't want to speak? Wonderful. He could keep working in silence despite how awkward it was. However, the blonde woman spoke up after a minute. "…Hey, Tyr?"

Tyr couldn't help but ask. "What is it, Vanessa?"

"Do you ever wish things had changed between us? Like… if we hadn't broken up."

"Once," Tyr grunted. "I've moved on, Vanessa. Haven't you?"

"Well, after dating two guys that were nowhere near as good as you, I thought I had. But no. I still have feelings for you, Tyr. Is there… anything there anymore?"

Tyr sighed. "You have a terrible sense of timing, Vanessa. You've been out of my life for four years now. You really think you can walk back into it that easily?" He turned to her, angry. "You broke my heart. Just because you didn't want to stick with me."

"I told you I was scared."

"I was scared too!" Tyr shot back. "I was scared every time I had to stick my eye against a scope. I was scared every time I was given the order to shoot!"

"And how was I supposed to feel?" Vanessa stood up and walked over to him, sticking her face an inch from his. "Knowing that my boyfriend was in harm's way every day and could get shot at any moment puts a lot of stress on a person!"

"You couldn't deal with it?"

"Who could?"

"You'd be surprised," Tyr said quietly. Vanessa frowned, her scowl fading away.

"Tyr… I did say I still have feelings for you, right?"

"Perhaps. I don't remember exactly." Tyr was beginning to feel uncomfortable with Vanessa so close. She was his ex, and he was very in love with Luna, but having the blonde beauty inches away from him was making his body react. Vanessa's eyes drifted down ever so slightly, a smile crossing her face.

"Nice to see I still turn you on," she purred, pushing closer. Tyr tried to back up, but he was against a counter and didn't get very far.

"Vanessa, back off," He said weakly, thrown off by this sudden event.

"Oh come on, Ty. This obviously proves there's something you've still got for me."

"No, it doesn't! This is simply a physical reaction!"

"If you say so… I still think differently—"

"You may want to back off," A quiet voice said. The two humans looked up to find a quartet of upset looking Equestrian women looking at them from the doorway. Tyr sighed in relief.

"Girls…" He managed to say weakly, just as Vanessa pushed off of him.

"Seems you're running a harem in here," She said coolly, glancing from between them.

"Who are you?" Luna demanded, eyes narrowing. "And why are you in our house?"

"Our house? You live here?" She glanced over at Grace. "You too?"

"Just recently," Grace answered honestly. "But you didn't answer Princess Luna's question."

"She's Tyr's ex-girlfriend," Chrys pointed out. "And it seems she wishes that was otherwise."

Vanessa scowled. "So what if I want to get back together with my ex? Is that so weird?"

"It is if the man in question is engaged," Trixie said.

"…Engaged?" Vanessa glanced back at Tyr. The man nodded without a word. "To who?"

"To me," Luna snapped, stepping forward. "Step away from my fiancé."

Vanessa's eyes were drawn to Luna's stomach. "…Tyr. You knocked her up?"

"To put it crudely, yes," Tyr said. Vanessa stared at him for a long moment.

"You… you want to marry this girl?"

"That's right. You lost your chance."

"I'm going to ask you to leave nicely," Luna said. "But I will only ask once."

Vanessa glanced over at Tyr. "You're going to let her kick me out?"

"No," Tyr said coldly. "I'm going to tell you to leave and never come back."

The woman opened her mouth to speak, but the glares from everyone made her close it instantly. She hurried to the front door. "Have fun with your freak wife," She hissed as she opened the door. Tyr had the feeling of wanting the woman dead a moment before he had truly thought about it. Vanessa barely made it two steps before she was knocked flat to the ground by Chrys, who had barreled into her from behind. She struggled to rise, only for Chrys's claws to slide an inch from her neck. She froze.

"Be glad my Master caught himself," She hissed into the blonde woman's ear. "Otherwise you'd be dead."

"Chrissy…" Tyr warned. The Changeling leapt back up to her feet, Vanessa rolling onto her back, fear in the blonde woman's eyes.

"What the hell, Tyr!?" She shrieked.

"Chrissy responds to my emotions," Tyr explained. "Call my fiancé a freak again, and I'll let her kill you."

All the color drained from Vanessa's face. She could see how serious Tyr was being, and the dark look from Chrys sealed the deal. She got to her feet, turned around, and quickly went to her car and drove away. Luna came up beside Tyr, her face impassive. "…You let her get quite close, Tyr."

"At first, she was angry," Tyr said.

"…Don't let it happen again."

Tyr glanced over at his fiancé, finding the dark cerulean eyes focused on him. "Moony, I didn't want that. I wanted her gone."

"Then why did you let her inside?"

"I wasn't going to just leave her outside. And I thought maybe she would apologize for what she did to me back then."

"It seems you were wrong." Luna turned sharply on her heel and went back inside. Tyr followed after.

"Hey, wait, Moony. Why are you upset?"

"It should be obvious!" Luna whirled back around on him, eyes narrowed with anger. Tyr could have sworn her eyes turned a bit serpentine for a split second. "You let a previous lover into our home; let her get that close to you? What emotion do you expect me to feel?"

Tyr paused. "…Luna. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let her inside."

She regarded him coldly for a moment before her gaze softened just a bit. "…Do not let it happen again."

She walked back upstairs then. Chrys moved over beside Tyr. "…Master?"

"What is it, Chrissy?" Tyr asked, looking over at her. She looked and felt extremely remorseful.

"I should have sensed your discomfort sooner and came to help you…"

He gently stroked her hair. "It's alright. You were having fun upstairs, right? Plus, I wasn't directing my thoughts directly at you, so it was less likely for you to notice."

"But I should have felt your anger!" Chrys complained. "In fact, I should have known even before she got inside…"

"I said it's alright, Chrissy. No one is to blame except for me."

Chrys looked like she wanted to protest further, but instead simply sighed, "…Very well, Master."

Tyr glanced up, catching one last glimpse of Luna's tail as she vanished up to the next floor. "Hopefully she forgives me for this."

-x-

* * *

 **And There we have it. Tyr's ex has both entered and exited the scene. However, the next few chapters are not going to focus on my main pair. The other couples need a little love too, right? Don't worry, we'll be back with Tyr and Luna before too long... in time for a specific event to occur. :D  
**

 **As always, please read and review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter(s)! The Library accepts all input, and as per request:**

 **Kwaheri! (Swahili! and I can pronounce this one!)**


	32. Chapter 31: Generous Laughter

**Firstly, apologies for posting so late. On New Years, I was up till about five in the morning, and then I slept the entire day away. I think the aggravation of my sleep schedule cause me to forget to post, and I'm just now remembering. Forgive me!**

 **In order to rectify this grievous error, I present to you the reason for my being up so late/early: Two chapters. Gasp! Another double post?**

 **Indeed.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 31: Generous Laughter

"I wanna go too!"

"Me too!"

Rarity glanced up from her sewing to look at the two girls in front of her. Well, one girl and one woman, if you could consider Pinkie an adult. The bubbly party-girl was knelt beside Sweetie Bell, both of them just a few inches from the table she was working on. They were pleading to go with Rarity to a fashion show she had been invited to participate in. While Sherry's baking competition was going on, Rarity was showing off her designs to local fashion shops and other dressmakers. She had made a few new contacts, contracted a few suppliers and distributors, and had firmly placed herself in the circles that she needed to be in to sell her work. She sighed. "Pinkie. Have you already forgotten that you're going with me?"

"I am?" Pinkie blinked. "Oh, that's right! I am!"

"But what about me?" Sweetie Bell asked. "I still want to go!"

"I know darling, but I can't. I'll have my hands full watching Pinkie."

"What am I gonna do then?"

"You'll be staying with Tyr and Luna for the time being. Isn't that fine? You'll get to spend time with Sherry."

Sweetie Bell sighed. "I guess that's okay…"

Rarity couldn't help but smile at her sister. Even though Sweetie Bell had discovered her own talent, she still liked to spend time with Rarity whenever she had the opportunity. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. "Oh, you'll have plenty of fun."

"I'll try."

"So who's modelling for you, Rare-bear?" Pinkie asked, bouncing up and down. Rarity smirked just slightly at the affectionate nickname. To be perfectly honest, she loved hearing Pinkie say it. It was just silly enough to be something Pinkie would come up with, yet cute enough that even Rarity couldn't hate it. However, she had to roll her eyes at her scatterbrained girlfriend.

"Pinkie-winkle," Rarity replied with a sigh. "You're modelling for me, remember?"

"…Oh! That's right!" Pinkie stuck out her tongue. "Oopsie!"

Rarity stuck a hand to her forehead. "Pinkie-winkle…" She murmured. The silly nickname had the same plus points as the one Pinkie had for her, with the added bonus being close to the color of Pinkie's eyes. Those periwinkle blue eyes that held so much laughter.

"But you have so many dresses," Sweetie Bell said, looking over at the rack of clothes. "How is Pinkie going to model them all?"

"I asked Grace to help out," Rarity said, going back to work. The red material before her needed plenty of love and care before it was ready to be worn. "I got this to get ready for her. She also said she had a friend that was willing to help out."

As she finished the statement, the doorbell rang. "That must be them!" Sweetie Bell jumped up and went down to the door to answer it.

"I would hope so," Rarity said, not looking up. "I still have to measure her. Thank goodness her friend knows her sizes off the top of her head…"

Sweetie Bell came back up. "I brought them up, big sis!"

"Thank you, Sweetie dear." Rarity looked up as she thanked her sister, spotting Grace enter behind the young girl. "Hello Grace, it's nice to see you."

The redhead gave her a warm smile. Just due to how she dressed, Rarity sometimes saw the Lunar Knight as a ray of sunshine on a moonlit night. However, the girl's reserved nature fit her position well. "Same, Rarity." She turned slightly and moved to the side, motioning to someone behind her. "Come on Vanna, she won't bite."

"I wasn't expecting her to," a lilting voice told her.

"Oh, is that your friend, Grace?" Rarity asked, sitting up straight and adjusting her work glasses. The elegant accessory was enchanted with magic to allow her to do even more precise stitching. They were red rimmed and… oh my. Her train of thought careened to a halt as she beheld Grace's friend. Vanna was slender, quite so, yet still managed to look pretty enough that it didn't seem unhealthy. However, Rarity could see the muscles in the tan skinned arms that had been built up from long years of work. Long, silky black hair hung freely about the metalsmith's shoulders, framing a strong face with dark golden eyes. These eyes focused on Rarity, making her swallow heavily. She managed to speak up. "…Oh my."

"Caught off guard, are ya?" Vanna said with a smirk.

Rarity could do nothing but nod. "I mean, no offense to Grace, but I had no idea her friend would be so… so… gorgeous."

"You look really strong!" Pinkie said, hopping over.

"Been working with metal almost all my life," Vanna said, holding up an arm and flexing. "That sort of work leaves you tough."

"Quite so," Rarity said quietly, coming over. She gently ran her hand along the length of Vanna's arm. "Even so, you're still quite slender… Very… impressive."

"Um…" Vanna murmured, a slight blush running up his cheeks. Rarity caught herself and let go, backing up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, darling!" Rarity blushed lightly, turning away. She loved Pinkie, which was true. But for some reason she had been unable to help herself.

"So… where're the dresses you want us to model?" Grace asked. Thankful for the topic change Rarity moved over to the rack. She selected a solid gold dress with a slant neckline and a slit along the side. It shimmered softly in the light.

"Ah yes! Vanna, since you gave me your measurements, go ahead and try this on. Grace, I need to measure you."

"Alright then," Vanna said, taking the dress and going to one of the dressing rooms. Rarity meanwhile led Grace over to a small pedestal. She pulled out a tape measure and began to work. As she measured her, Rarity took notice of little things about the Lunar Knight she had not noticed before. Grace wasn't curvy, yet she was still quite slender. From what the seamstress could see, the redhead tried to wear clothes that didn't show much skin. She'd fix that before long. When she got to her chest, she saw the knight blush. She smiled.

"No need to get embarrassed, darling. Not everyone can be as well-endowed as others."

"Easy for you to say," Grace replied quietly. "At least you're not flat chested."

"Now, now, none of that. Having large ones is not exactly good either."

Grace made a face. "Doesn't seem like it hinders Pinkie Pie," She grumbled.

Rarity spared a glance behind her. She immediately turned back around. "…Pinkie always likes to hop around."

"Uh huh."

"What articles of clothing she chooses to wear or not wear are not under my control."

Grace smirked. "Yet."

Rarity shot a surprised look up at the girl before her. "My! Chrysalis must be rubbing off on you!"

"It's only been a couple weeks," Grace said. In all honesty, Grace was finding getting along with the Changeling quite… easy. Chrys simply had a habit of teasing her whenever possible.

"More than enough time." Rarity smiled. "Although… Vanna was it?"

Grace immediately blushed. "What? What about Vanna?"

"I didn't realize you swung that way, darling!"

"W-what!? No, I don't…!"

"Oh, no need to act so modest!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie bounced over. "I mean, what, are Rare-bear and I going to be upset?"

"No it's just…" Grace blushed. "Vanna and I are just friends."

"Friends end up being more than that sometimes," Rarity said knowingly. Pinkie giggled at that comment.

"I understand what you girls mean, but I'm serious. It's not like that. Vanna and I are—"

"I'm finished," Vanna said, coming out. The other girls in the room paused. Rarity had to again admit to herself that she was truly good at what she did. The golden dress clung to Vanna's body, accenting the slight curves of his body. The metalsmith really looked good. "How do I look?"

"Wow…" Pinkie murmured.

"That looks marvelous, darling!" Rarity said. "You look good in dresses!"

"Well, I don't get to wear them that much," Vanna said with a small smile. "I like it."

"Wonderful! So you wouldn't mind modelling for me?"

"Nah. Business has been slow lately, so I was thinking about taking a short break." Vanna's smile grew. "So I'd love to come along."

"Will we be really busy?" Grace asked.

Rarity thought for a moment. The fashion show was in the evening, so if they went early enough, there wouldn't be much need for them until later. That meant they had the whole day to themselves. "No, actually. We can actually just spend some time around town until the show."

"Sounds like fun," Vanna said. "Do I need to drive you, Grace?"

"I would like that," Grace said, smiling.

Rarity nodded. "Fair enough. My car will have no room because of the dresses."

"We're going on a trip!" Pinkie sang. "We're going on a trip, in our favorite rocket ship!"

Although she was excited as well, Rarity shook her head at Pinkie's antics. Hopefully, her pink ball of joy wouldn't cause anything… unfortunate to happen.

-x-

"Oh dear," Grace murmured, looking out the window of Vanna's gunmetal-gray muscle car. "Rarity is panicking."

"From what you've told me of her, that's normal, isn't it?" Vanna asked. The metalsmith was wearing a knee length gray skirt accented by a violet low-neckline sweater. Grace noticed that he was wearing a necklace now, with the emblem of an iron hammer hanging from it.

"Well, true enough, but she's lying on a couch."

Vanna leaned forward to look as well. "…Well, Vulcan's flame, she is. Where do you think she got that from?"

"Probably the same place Pinkie gets her stuff," Grace said. "Let's go see."

They got out of the car and headed over, just as Rarity flung a hand to her forehead in dramatic fashion. "I can't believe this is happening to me~!" She sobbed pitifully. They were outside of the building the fashion show was taking place in, and some of the people were watching, confused. Pinkie was standing nearby, watching as if she was having a lot of fun.

"What happened?" Grace asked.

"She forgot her make-up bag," Pinkie said.

Vanna snorted. "Is that it? I brought mine if you want to use it."

Rarity stopped sobbing abruptly. She looked over at Vanna, hope in her eyes. "R-really?"

"If it'll make you stop crying, then yes."

"Oh, you wonderful person you!" Rarity jumped up, running over and embracing Vanna. "You're a lifesaver!"

"Gah! Confound it woman, get off!"

"Oh!" Rarity dramatically fell back, only to have Pinkie catch her. "Oh, thank you, dear."

"No problem!" Pinkie giggled.

Grace looked around. She saw Rarity's car parked off a short distance. "So what happened to the dresses?"

"They're being taken to the dressing area," Rarity answered. "They'll be there when it's time for the show."

"So what do we do until then?"

"I actually have to run and do a little business myself," Vanna said. "You girls go on without me. I'll catch up a little later."

"I could go with you," Grace offered. However, her offer was quickly denied.

"Sorry Grace, it's going to be nothing but fire, smoke, and old men who I'd rather you didn't meet."

"Hm… okay. Well, we should meet back up somewhere though."

"A friend of mine suggested a nice jazz club that she wanted me to try," Rarity said. "I believe it was called Babylon's Gates or something like that."

"I know the place," Vanna said. "I'll see you all there."

He left. As they began to make their own way, Rarity noted Grace's quiet sigh. "You really like Vanna, don't you?"

"W-what?" Grace looked caught off guard. "Where did that come from?"

"You sighed," Pinkie said with a giggle, popping up on the knight's other side. "You sighed, and that means you like Vanna!"

"You… you two…"

"Oh dear, darling," Rarity murmured. "Your face is almost as red as your hair."

"I'm easily embarrassed, if you haven't noticed," Grace complained.

"Oh, come now dear, it's not that embarrassing, is it?"

"It is!" Grace said. "I've never… dated before."

Rarity gasped, Pinkie popping back over to her side to mimic her. "Never dated? Why on earth wouldn't you?"

"I wasn't exactly an outgoing person like Pinkie."

"Yeah, I'm super outgoing!" Pinkie agreed with a giggle. "I threw parties for everyone back home!"

"Sounds like fun."

"Pinkie-winkle's parties were… their own kind of fun," Rarity said slowly. "Needless to say, I was on the receiving end of a lot of them."

"One every year!" Pinkie said happily. Then her smile lessened just a bit. "…I never missed a birthday."

Rarity smiled softly, reaching over to take Pinkie's hand in hers. "I know, Pinkie dear. Although I still wonder how you knew my birthdate the first time."

"A magician never reveals her secrets!"

"Of course not, dear." She sighed and patted Pinkie's head. Rarity never expected to understand her bright, cheery and silly girlfriend. At one moment, Pinkie would be bouncing off the walls, wild giggles coming from her all the way. At the next, she would be deathly quiet, simply spending her time watching someone or something; lately her contemplative gazes were busy regarding Rarity herself. Although she loved Pinkie's eyes, the looks she gave her sometimes… She shook it off. "So, let us go get something to eat!"

"That sounds like a good idea," Grace said, agreeing.

"Where should we go?" Pinkie asked, bouncing alongside them as they began to walk. "I wanna go somewhere that has tasty food!"

"I'm not surprised," Rarity said with a laugh. "What about you, Grace?"

Grace smiled. "I don't mind, to be honest. As long as it isn't too expensive."

"Expensive?"

"I don't have a lot of money on me…"

"Oh that will not do!" Rarity frowned. "Do not worry, Grace. I will gladly pay for you."

"What?" Grace blinked before holding up her hands. "No, I couldn't…"

"Ah, no buts! I will not take no for an answer."

"You might as well just say yes," Pinkie advised with a giggle. "She really won't take no for an answer!"

"…okay," Grace said after a long period of thought. She sighed. "You are the Element of Generosity after all."

"And don't you forget it!" Rarity said triumphantly. "Now, let us go!"

It didn't take long to find a restaurant Rarity was willing to eat at. It was a fancy restaurant that Grace and Pinkie could not pronounce. Before they had a chance to try, the Element of Generosity pushed them inside. "Table for three, please," she told the hostess.

"One moment," The woman there said. She went around a nearby corner for a moment, then returned a second later. "We have a table that just opened up. Follow me please."

They followed the hostess to the offered booth, and sat down. Rarity and Pinkie sat together while Grace sat on the other side. Rarity and Pinkie were engrossed in their own conversation, so Grace simply examined the menu. She had selected something that sounded relatively harmless before she was spoken to. "Grace?"

"Hm?" Grace looked up from her menu to see Rarity looking at her. "Yes, Rarity?"

"I'd hate to make you feel left out, darling," the seamstress said.

Grace smiled. "It's alright. I'm used to being quiet."

"Oh dear, you are just like Fluttershy…"

"I'm not that shy though."

"That is quite true."

"Grace, where did you live while in Equestria?" Pinkie asked, eagerness on her face. "Cause you didn't live in Ponyville! I would have noticed!"

Grace glanced down at the table. "I… I lived in the slums of Manehattan."

"Slums?" Pinkie frowned. "What's a slum? Is that a drink?"

"It means where the… those who were financially destitute lived," Rarity offered.

"…Destitute?"

"I was poor," Grace said simply. She smiled at Rarity. "Thanks for trying to be considerate."

Rarity smiled slightly. "I apologize, darling."

"It's okay. My childhood shaped me into the person I am now." Grace sighed.

"Was it that rough?"

"I was a little girl living alone in Manehattan, Rarity."

"…Sorry."

"No, I'm not upset. But I went through a lot, and saw a lot of things I never wanted to see. But I don't regret a thing. Me being there… I saved a lot of lives."

"How did you do that?" Pinkie asked.

"I learned my talent at a very young age when I had to treat an older friend who was stabbed by a mugger."

Rarity gasped. "Stabbed?"

"Yeah. I managed to save her life, and that's how I got my Cutie Mark." She smiled sadly. "…Battlefield triage. That means healing those hurt during fighting, Pinkie."

"Thanks!" Pinkie said with a giggle.

"That must have been extremely rough, darling," Rarity said. "How ever did you manage?"

"I had a lot of very loyal friends," Grace said. "…A lot of them didn't survive the Merge."

"Oh my…"

"Although… and it took me a while to notice… I met Applejack there."

"Really? I heard Applejack moved there for a short time, but she never liked talking about it."

"She gave me food," Grace said. She smiled fondly at the happy memory. "I was starving, and I didn't think I was going to make it through the day. She gave me my first ever slice of apple pie."

"Oh, leave it to Applejack to do something like that."

The waiter came back for their orders then, and they all quickly picked what they wanted. It wasn't long before their meals came back and they began eating. Rarity decided to switch to a happier topic. "So! Grace, darling, what do you think of Vanna?"

"Vanna?" Grace paused with a piece of salad halfway to her mouth. "What do you mean, what do I think?"

"You obviously are interested!" Rarity claimed. "Don't think I can't see!"

"I mean… I can't deny that I am attracted…"

"See? You should just ask her out!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie giggled. "Vanna probably likes you too! Oh, I could throw you two a party!"

"I don't think a party is needed, Pinkie-winkle. Perhaps they just need to go on a date?" Rarity directed the question at Grace, who blushed.

"I dunno…" Grace looked down at her food. "I don't want to embarrass myself in asking…"

"If you don't ask you'll never find out, darling." Rarity looked over at Pinkie. "I almost found out the hard way."

"But you didn't, and we're happy!" Pinkie said with a big smile, reaching over to grasp Rarity's hand with her own. The fashionista smiled and leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek.

"I suppose asking wouldn't hurt," Grace said thoughtfully.

"Ahem."

They looked up to see a waiter standing nearby with a slight frown on his face. "…Yes?"

"Some of the other patrons would like you to refrain from any public displays of affection," He said, almost impassively.

"What?" Rarity seemed taken aback.

"If you please." He turned on his heel and left.

Rarity scowled. "Why I never! What sort of discrimination is this!?"

"Let's just finish eating and leave," Grace said. "Please?"

"No, I will not…" She trailed off as she noticed to concern on the red-haired knight's face. She was obviously worried. "…Fine. I will keep my peace then."

The rest of the meal was in relative silence, except for Pinkie retelling the first party she ever threw for Rarity. Rarity and Grace interjected here and there, but otherwise they were keeping quiet. The meal finished, Rarity paid without a word, and they left. It wasn't until they were out of the restaurant that Rarity finally spoke her mind. "I cannot believe that!" She said loudly, drawing a few stares from passerby.

"Rarity…" Grace warned quietly. She didn't think she'd get the Element of Generosity to stop, but she at least hoped she'd quiet down a little bit. But Rarity was frustrated, and nothing could really stop her when she was this put off.

"Why does one little peck on the cheek almost get us kicked out?" Rarity continued. "I have half a mind to go back in there and—mmph!"

Her sentence was cut off by Pinkie pressing her lips to hers, pulling the purple haired woman into a tight embrace. As they held the kiss, Grace felt her cheeks warming up, and she forced herself to look away. A moment later, the two women broke apart, breathless smiles on both of their faces. "Better?" Pinkie asked after taking a bit of a breath.

Rarity chuckled a little. "You always know how to calm me down, Pinkie Pie."

"Of course!"

"Just… give me a little warning next time, alright?" Rarity gently caressed her girlfriend's face. It was times like these she was thankful for the spontaneity of her girlfriend.

"Seems I missed something." They all looked around to find Vanna approaching them, a small smile on the metal worker's face.

"Vanna!" Grace said in surprise.

"You're all done with your business?" Rarity said, neither she or Pinkie letting the other go.

"It went by a lot faster than I thought," Vanna said with a shrug. "So after I was done, I got changed and came after you guys to see if I could catch you."

"Seems you caught us!" Pinkie said.

"Lucky me."

"What did you mean by you got changed?" Rarity asked. "That's the same ensemble you were wearing earlier."

"I had to change into something more… businesslike," Vanna said. "The people I met with don't like it when I'm being casual."

"I understand completely, darling. So we have a bit of time left. Shall we be off?"

"Sure. I'm up for it."

Babylon's Gate was located in a small alcove like patio area, the patio itself decorated like an overgrown garden. The entrance to the club was shaped like a large golden gate, and when the four of them entered, it was like walking into another world. The lights were low, there was soft, jazzy music playing, and there was quiet conversation all over. They took a seat in a large, velvety semicircle couch near one far wall. "Ugh, this brings back memories," Rarity said with a small frown.

"Memories of what?" Grace asked.

"We went to a club with Tyr once," Pinkie said. "Rarity had too much to drink."

"I did not!" Rarity snapped. "I just… overestimated my limit."

"I think that's called having too much to drink," Vanna said with a laugh. "No worries. I'll order you guys some non-alcoholic drinks."

Vanna got up and went over to the bar. "So you never told us how you met Vanna, Grace," Rarity said.

"You're still on this?" Grace whined, exasperated.

"Of course! I may not be Princess of Love like Princess Cadance, but I still want my friends to find love!"

"Rarity, please…"

"Come, just tell me!"

"Well, I went by Vanna's shop to ask for a new sword…"

"Hey, you're not carrying it!" Pinkie said, leaning over the table.

"A spell I learned," Grace said. She held up her wrist, where a small blade charm hung from a bracelet on it. "This way I can carry it without it being obvious."

"That's really cool!"

"What's cool?" Vanna came back, four drinks held in his hands. He set three of them down on the table before sitting back down beside Grace.

"I made it easier to carry the sword you gave me," Grace said, holding up the charm. Vanna, intrigued, took hold of her hand so that he could look closer. He completely missed the blush on her face.

"Well, I'll be. Magic sure is useful, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

Vanna noticed her embarrassment then, and let go of her hand. "…Sorry."

"Oh, come on you two!" Rarity said, exasperated. "Vanna, just ask the girl out already!"

The metalsmith and the knight stared at her for a long minute. "…Well, damn," Vanna said after bit.

"Sorry," Grace said softly.

"Nah, I've been thinking about it, actually."

Grace stared at him. "…really?"

"Yeah. Ever since you came into my shop. You want to… maybe go on a date or something sometime?" Vanna sighed. "That was stupidly put, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Grace giggled. "But I got the gist of it. I'd love to go on a date with you, Vanna."

"Oh, this is wonderful!" Rarity said, clapping her hands lightly. "Hopefully you won't offend anyone's 'sensibilities'."

"I can see how I would," Vanna said. "But how would Grace?"

"What?" Rarity frowned.

"You guys would be two girls dating, right?" Pinkie asked, of course taking the blunt route. "Don't people think that's weird?"

Vanna and Grace looked at each other for a moment before breaking out into laughter. "You never told them, flame-hair?" Vanna asked.

"I never got the chance to," Grace said.

"I feel like we're missing something here," Rarity said slowly.

"I'm not a girl," Vanna said, grinning. "I just like dressing as one."

"…oh? Oh! I must have been so insensitive…!"

"No, you never offended me, Rarity. It actually makes me a little happy that I managed to convince you two otherwise."

Rarity turned to Grace. "You knew? All this time?"

"Like I said, I tried to tell you girls." Grace smiled. "When you work with living people a lot, it's not that hard to tell at a glance."

"Oh my… I'm sorry for assuming…"

"It's okay, really."

"Well, I certainly feel awful now…"

Vanna smiled. "Hey, don't sweat it. It all worked out in the end."

"So you're still okay modelling for me?"

"Yeah. I like wearing dresses. That weird?"

Rarity shook her head. Surely, she had never met a stallion in Equestria that liked dressing in female clothing, but most ponies didn't wear clothing anyway. Plus, she had been exposed to a lot of different things after coming to the human world. And on top of that, Vanna looked feminine enough to pass for a woman with no work involved at all. "I do not think it you are weird at all, Vanna."

"I guess it doesn't help I have a feminine name," Vanna chuckled a bit.

"Nope!" Pinkie said, taking a break from chugging her drink. "Totally thought you were a girl!"

"How did you get into… um…" Rarity tried to find the word she wanted to use. Grace supplied it to her.

"Crossdressing?"

"Yes! That. How did you start doing that?"

Vanna thought for a moment. "Well, you can easily tell my body type doesn't give way to people guessing I'm actually a guy. I'm naturally slender, and that's been the way of things since I was little. A lot of my older relatives used to think I was a girl and would always give me girl's clothes. And it just kinda went from there."

"You never told them?" Pinkie asked.

"I enjoyed wearing the clothes, so I never bothered. Got me bullied in high school though. That's where I met Tyr." Vanna smiled. "Tall bastard was the top of our class and scary as hell. Unless you actually spoke to him, you'd think he'd hurt you just for looking at him."

"Tyr's not that scary," Pinkie complained.

"I agree," Rarity said. "Tyr is a veritable sweetheart."

"He's softened up a bit since then," Vanna said, shrugging and sipping at his drink. "Back then, I think he was still torn up about his parents."

"Tyr did tell us he lost his parents at a young age," Rarity murmured thoughtfully. Vanna nodded.

"Yeah. So he kept to himself, never got into any trouble, and kept his grades high. And then he met me."

"You were crossdressing back then?" Pinkie asked. She was focused on the story: she always loved listening to stories.

"Heh, yeah. After hearing that Tyr was the guy nailing top grades all the time, I approached him for tutoring. I was really bad in school, cause if it doesn't come to metal, I'm a dunce." Vanna grinned. "Tall bastard thought I was trying to hit on him."

"What!?" Grace covered her mouth as she giggled. "Really?"

"I mean, when you look like I do with waist length hair and wearing long skirts and whatnot, I can pass for a really pretty girl. So after clearing all that up…" Vanna laughed. "Tyr offered to help me. And that was the beginning of our friendship. The tall, scary genius and the crossdresser. What a pair, huh?"

"You two do seem like an awfully mismatched pair," Rarity said.

"Well, it worked out. Tyr was into fixing things even back then, so I made all his tools. In return, he kept me from getting picked on and helped me with school. We were real close."

"Wow," Pinkie murmured.

"Yeah, until he went to the police academy. I didn't see him much until after he was out. By then he was a different person… but still my friend." Vanna smiled softly. "But then he met you guys, and then he was yet again, another person. But better. And still Tyr."

"We didn't change him that much," Rarity claimed.

"No, I figure that little girl did. After he adopted Sherry, he was a lot happier than I'd ever seen him. That girl really did change his life. And you guys are making a change in him that can only be for the better."

"You really think highly of Tyr, don't you?" Grace asked.

"That I do," Vanna confirmed. He downed what was left of his drink in one gulp. "He deserves to be happy, and I'll be damned if I won't be wearing a dress at his wedding as his best man."

The girls laughed. "Well, we should be going," Rarity said, glancing at her watch. "We don't want to be late."

"Right. Let's get going girls," Grace said, getting up. She bumped into a young girl with an instrument case as she did. "Oh, sorry!"

"No biggie," Anastasia said, readjusting her headphones. She paused at seeing Grace's face. "…I recognize you."

"You're Jehu's other daughter, right? Anastasia?" Rarity asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I play here sometimes," Ana said with a small smile. "I play viola."

"Oh, it's almost a shame we'll miss it."

Ana frowned. "My music is on the radio sometimes. Just listen to the jazz station."

"Oh wow!" Pinkie said. "Are you famous?"

"Not particularly. I just play good music." She glanced up at the stage. "If you excuse me, I have to set up."

"Ah, don't let us keep you," Grace said, moving aside. Ana walked on, putting a hand into the air in passing. The four of them watched the young girl leave. "…Wow."

"She is nothing like her sisters," Rarity said.

"Yeah, she's super quiet!" Pinkie complained.

Vanna was quiet for a long time. "…That girl had the same kind of eyes that Tyr had after he left the force," He said quietly. The girls didn't hear him, but he was right. Those eyes full of pain, of seeing too much too quickly. Those eyes of someone who was trained to kill. He shivered. He hated looks like that.

"Did you say something, Vanna?" Grace asked.

"I said that girl had pretty eyes." Vanna lied. "Come on, we should hurry."

The fashion show went off without a hitch. Not a single person could tell that Vanna was a guy under all the makeup and accessories, and even Grace looked stunning in the bright, colorful dresses Rarity made. Pinkie managed to not bounce around as she modelled the pink and white frilly number she was put in. The fashionista found them after the show in their shared dressing room. "That. Was. FABULOUS!" Rarity squealed, giggling. "You all looked wonderful!"

"I felt so embarrassed!" Grace said, tugging at the neckline of her dress. "Why did every dress have to show off my legs!"

"You do have pretty legs, flame-hair," Vanna said with a grin.

"You're taller than me—you should have worn them!"

"I think Vanna looked better in the long ones," Pinkie said. "I was just happy mine were bright!"

"You all looked great, and did great." Rarity smiled. "Thank you all for doing this for me."

"Anything for you, Rare-bear!" Pinkie giggled.

Grace nodded. "I was happy to help."

"Same here," Vanna said. "Don't hesitate to ask me to do this again."

Rarity bowed low. "Thank you all. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Rarity…" Grace murmured.

"Aw, you always do this!" Pinkie laughed and embraced her girlfriend. She took Rarity's face between her hands and looked into her eyes. "You don't need to be so modest, Rare-bear! We're your friends—of course we'd help out!"

"The crazy one has a point," Vanna said. "Don't worry about it."

Rarity smiled. "…Thank you all. As a show of my gratitude, you may keep the dresses you have on."

Grace and Vanna paused. "…Really?"

"Yes. Please, I want you to take them."

"Alright… if you say so…"

"Let's get going, shall we?" Grace smiled. "I do kinda have work in the morning."

"Same," Vanna agreed, stretching. "It's been fun, but I got metal to shape."

They left the hall, Rarity being stopped by plenty of photographers and other designers complimenting her on her creations. There were a lot of pictures taken, and by the time they were outside, they were even more tired than before. "I regret not changing now," Grace murmured.

"You look too good in that, darling!" Rarity said. "I must get you more dresses to wear."

"Really, Rarity, that's alright."

"I mean—hey!" A man in a hooded jacket bumped into Rarity, almost knocking her over. "Watch where you're going!"

"Hold a moment," Vanna said, glancing from Rarity to the rapidly retreating man. "Oi! Pickpocket!"

"My purse!" Rarity cried as the hooded man broke into a run. "He stole my purse!"

"Damn! I can't chase him in this dress!"

"I've got it," Grace said calmly, her magic flaring to life. A trio of needles pulled themselves out of her bag, snapping to attention before shooting after the man. All three thudded into his back, and he slumped to the ground, unmoving.

"Dear Celestia!" Rarity breathed.

"Whoa!" Pinkie agreed.

Vanna glanced over at Grace, an amused smile on his face. "…Nice shot, flame-hair."

They began walking over to the downed man. "He isn't… dead, is he?" Rarity asked worriedly. Grace simply shook her head.

"Pressure points. He's paralyzed until I decide to pull the needles out."

They reached the man, who was still trying to move. Rarity snatched her purse away. "Brute," She snapped.

Pinkie knelt down and poked the frozen man. "This is funny! Poke, poke!"

"Stop that, Pinkie-winkle."

"Aw…"

Vanna frowned. The man had waited until Rarity had noticed her purse was gone to start running, when he could have made it to the nearby alley if he had been running from the start. He had wanted them to chase him? The metalsmith, with his trained eyes for detail, noticed movement from his peripheral vision. There were more people in that alley. "Hey girls? Let's go. Grace, let him up once we're gone."

"Something up, Vanna?" Grace asked, frowning at her friend.

"No… nothing much." He would be sure to give Tyr a call later.


	33. Chapter 32: Diligent Study

Chapter 32: Diligent Study

Flash looked up from the book he was reading on human military tactics as he heard the library door open. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Chrysalis?"

Chrys frowned ever so slightly as she entered the library, likewise surprised to see the guard. She didn't answer right away, instead coming over to the front desk slowly. "I was expecting to see Twilight Sparkle here."

"She's still gone," Flash said, a little frustration in his voice. "She and Spike."

"You sound worried."

Flash stared at her for a long time. Worried? That was understatement of the year. "I've been getting reports of Equestrian women and children vanishing for the past two weeks, and Twilight has been gone for a _month_."

Chrys blinked. From what she knew of the relationship between Flash and Twilight, there would be no reason for the studious woman to not contact her boyfriend. "She has not called or anything?"

"No, she hasn't. And I know if she's deep in study, she won't notice, but leaving for a whole month without telling anyone? Even Celestia hasn't heard from her."

Chrys frowned. "Even from what I know of Twilight, I do not see this as normal behavior."

"It would be different if I knew where she was. I don't even know where this library she went to is." He sighed, and closed his book. "But there's not much I can do about it right now. Did you need something, Chrys?"

"I was looking for a book… on children."

Flash raised an eyebrow. "…children?"

"Oh how to care for them, and the like." She glanced away.

"…You're worried you won't be able to help with Tyr and Luna's kids."

"I've never dealt with children," Chrys complained. "And the first ones I'll be dealing with are those of my Master and his lover…"

"Didn't you take care of the Changelings?"

"Changelings were always fully born. They were able to walk and talk from birth."

"I see." Flash thought for a moment. "I believe there may be something…"

He was cut off by the door opening. Both of them turned and froze as the woman of the hour came rushing in, followed by her faithful assistant. "I need a table!" Twilight said, rushing to one of the nearby tables. In her arms was clutched a large, wrapped object, no doubt a book. She carried it to a nearby table and set it down, unwrapping it as eagerly as a child at Christmas. She had completely ignored the two staring at her from the front desk. The book was huge, more akin to a tome, and had a massive eight pointed star on the cover. As the librarian began to open the book and rifle through the information inside, Flash finally spoke up.

"Twi!" He said, loudly.

She glanced over. "Oh, hey Flash. Sorry, I really need to get to work on going through this—"

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

The sudden yell caught everyone of guard. Twilight turned slowly, coming face to face with an incensed Flash. She blinked several times, not understanding. "F-Flash? What is it?"

"What is it?" Flash was furious. "You've been gone for almost a month and a half, and all I get when I see you is: 'Oh hey Flash'!?"

"Flash, I'm sorry, I just—" She paused, horror creeping into her face. "…A month?"

"You don't understand, do you?" He came from behind the desk, brushing past Chrys. "Equestrians have been going missing for the last two weeks, and I was afraid you had been taken or worse! I've been losing sleep because of you!"

"Yo, dude, calm down," Spike began, but a sharp glare from Flash shut him up.

"You could have called, send a message, or something. Something to let me know you were okay, but no! You had to keep your damn nose shoved in a book instead!"

"I was doing what Princess Celestia told me to do," Twilight shot back, trying to defend herself. She gestured to the book on the table. "This book talks about—"

"I DON'T CARE!" Flash roared, going to the table and slamming the book shut. " _You_ are what I care about, Twilight, but apparently you don't care enough about me to at least tell me you were okay!"

Twilight shrunk back from her boyfriend's anger. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. She began crying soundlessly, tears streaming from her eyes. "…Oh my," Chrys said softly. At the sight of his girlfriend crying like that, Flash felt his anger drain away rapidly.

"Twi—" He began, but Twilight broke into sobs as she pushed past him, running back out the door. "Twilight!"

"Oh, well done," Chrys said sarcastically.

"Shut up, Chrys."

"Spend more time going after her than taking out your anger on me," Chrys replied sharply, eyes narrowing. "I will _not_ take it silently."

Flash opened his mouth to reply, but decided against it. He darted out of the door after his girlfriend. It didn't take him long to catch up to her, since Twilight had never been the athletic type. He spotted her running just a few yards ahead. "Twilight!"

She glanced back, seeing him chasing her. She opened her violet wings to take to the sky. Flash bit his lip. Twilight was still bad at flying, so he didn't have much faith in her out flying her. But suddenly, right as she lifted off, her entire body froze up and she fell to the ground, sliding to a complete halt. "What the… Twi!"

He boosted himself forward with one flap of his wings, coming up to his girlfriend's side in a second. He lifted her into his arms, immediately seeing that she was out cold. "What the hell…?"

"Flash!" Chrys's voice rang out. "Spike has passed out!"

"Twilight did too," Flash said, glancing over as the Changeling flew over to him. "What the hell happened?"

"More than likely exhaustion," Chrys said. She knelt beside Flash. "It seems to have caught up to her in an instant."

"It will pass," A soft voice said. Both of them looked over to find Mercy striding towards them. They both blinked in surprise.

"Mercy?" Flash said, remembering the raven haired woman's name. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on them," Mercy said, folding her arms. "They left so abruptly. I'm surprised they got so far before crashing."

"Will they be okay?"

"Of course. Just give them some time to rest." She turned to go, not before glancing over her shoulder at Flash. "And… give her the benefit of the doubt. She wanted to help you."

"…Help me?" Flash frowned.

"If you want to fight your enemy, you must know him first," Mercy quoted. "Not exactly Sun Tzu, but close."

She left, her job done. Flash looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms. "Hey, Chrys?"

"Yes?" The Changeling looked down at him.

"I'm sorry for earlier. Can you go get Spike so we can take them home?"

"…Of course, Flash. I'd be happy to help."

-x-

Twilight's eyes fluttered open. To her confusion, she found herself home, tucked into bed. She was also changed into sleeping clothes, her favorite t-shirt and star decorated fuzzy pants. When had she gotten changed? She only remembered passing out after running from Flash… The memory of her boyfriend yelling at her came rushing back, and she almost found herself crying again. Not because of him yelling at her, because of how _hurt_ he had looked. He had really worried about her, and she hadn't thought of him at all. She rubbed at her eyes. If anything, she should go talk to Princess Celestia about it and what she had found out at the library. A sweet smell wafted up from downstairs. "Spike must be making breakfast," She murmured softly to herself. Maybe she'd feel better on a full stomach.

She made her way downstairs, almost literally drawn by the smell of food. "That smells really good, Spike," She murmured, drinking in the smell. Pancakes would be really good… She stopped as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Twi," Flash said, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Finally up, I see."

She stared at him in confusion. "…Flash?"

"Yeah, that's my name. You okay with scrambled eggs?"

She frowned, but slowly made her way to sit at the kitchen table. "Um… yes, that's okay. That's what Spike usually makes anyway…"

"Great. Cause I already made them." He came over to her, a plate of pancakes and eggs in his hand. He set it in front of her and sat down across from her. Twilight frowned.

"…You cooked?"

"I always cook." Flash frowned. "I live alone, remember?"

"…Right." She poked at her food for a minute, suddenly without an appetite. "Hey… Flash?"

"Yes?"

"Are you still angry at me?"

To her surprise, he sighed. "Yes and no."

"That doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense." He fixed her with a dark look. "I'm still upset you never contacted me, but I was also to blame for not simply going with you. On top of that, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"…So…you're not mad?"

Flash chuckled. "No, I'm not. I was scared, Twi. Scared something had happened to you and there was nothing I could do."

"Flash… I'm so sorry. I didn't know. And you said I was gone for a month and a half?"

"Yeah."

"To me it felt like only a couple days…" She frowned. "I guess I was really into what I was reading… oh wait, Spike!"

"He's asleep in bed," Flash said before she started panicking. "He's fine."

Twilight sighed. "I should have thought about your feelings on the whole thing, Flash. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, love. Really. Now, eat your food before it gets cold."

Twilight wasn't about to argue with that. She began eagerly eating, savoring the well-made food her boyfriend had made her. Considering how good this was, she would have to have him making breakfast for her more often. She was so focused on eating that she failed to notice the small box Flash had slipped onto the table on top of a book. It wasn't until she was almost done eating that she noticed them. The title of the book caught her attention first.

Marriage for Dummies.

She looked from the book to Flash, and then back again. When her eyes met his again, he was smiling. "…Flash?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"I know how much you like to read up on subjects you don't know," Flash said quietly. "So this is a book I'd figure you'd go looking to read… and thought maybe we should read it together."

"I… Flash… this is… are you serious?" Twilight was beginning to have trouble forming coherent sentences. "But… I don't…"

"We learn together, Twi." Flash reached over and opened the small box. Twilight's breath caught as she saw the ring, a twisted gold band with an amethyst stone set in a clasp. He took it out and moved around the table so that he could kneel at her side. "Twilight Sparkle… will you marry me?"

"I… I… I would make a terrible wife…"

"You're just saying that."

"I don't know how to cook."

"I do."

"I can't sew or anything like that very well…"

"I fix my own clothes pretty often. Mother taught me how."

"I'm…um…"

Flash found himself laughing softly. "Twilight. Just answer me this: Do you love me?"

"…Yes." She said it with certainty. "Yes I do. I love you, Flash."

"Then will you marry me?"

Twilight sniffed, tears gathering in her eyes. "…Yes…!" She held out her hand, and Flash gently slipped the ring onto her finger. "Oh Flash, it's beautiful…"

"Only the best for you, love."

"I… I've got to tell all the girls…!"

"You know…" Flash said thoughtfully. "Besides Spike, there's someone we should tell before them."

Twilight thought for a moment. "...Oh. Right."

"I can't believe we're in the same situation as last time," Flash muttered as he and his new fiancé sat across from Princess Celestia once more, cups of tea in front of them all.

"Well, you haven't been by in a while, and when Twilight called she said she wanted to talk about something important," Celestia pointed out.

"I suppose that is fair."

"So, I'm guessing it is about the research Twilight went to do?" The Princess of the Sun looked over at her former student. "What did you discover?"

"Ah, right." Twilight pulled the book out of her bag. She had picked it up from the library on the way there, since they had intended to speak to Celestia about it anyway. She set it on the table and opened it. "From what this book tells me, the Conclave of the Zodiac is an ancient group that apparently is aligned with Order."

"Aligned with order?"

"Yes. Apparently, according to the book, there are two major magical factions: Order, and Chaos. They've been at odds for eternity."

"That sounds almost like a story my parents would tell me when I was young," Celestia said thoughtfully. "Two intertwined powers that could not truly exist without one another."

"Wasn't Discord a spirit of Chaos?" Flash asked, frowning.

"Yes, although from the look on Twilight's face, things are different in this world."

Flash and Celestia looked to Twilight. She was indeed frowning, though more out of confusion than anger. "It's not just that, Princess. It's… well, this book presents an idea I do not think I have ever considered."

"What is it?"

"That there are different planes—almost like other worlds," Twilight said. "That Equus and this world are simply connected via a Gate of some kind."

"A Gate?" Celestia seemed perplexed. "So that means… somewhere, there is a place that will allow us to go home?"

"Unfortunately no. The Merge brought us here, not a Gate. And this book doesn't explain what the Merge was or what these Gates are or would look like. The rest of the book details more about the different kinds of planes, but I haven't had a chance to read it." She frowned. "Most of it is in a language I can't read."

Celestia gentle took the book from her and turned it right-side up. Indeed, the words on the page were more glyphs than anything else, and even with her knowledge of ancient languages, could make no sense of them. "Indeed they are…"

"Perhaps they're human in origin?"

"That is a thought." She sighed. "Well, all in due time. Anything on your end, Flash?"

"Some, although I wish there was more." Flash sighed. "As it stands, only women and children are being taken, although there are a few men that have been taken."

"And do you know where they are being taken to?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've got everyone I can working on it."

"Just be careful, Flash."

"As you wish, Princess."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit, each drinking their tea. Celestia was next to speak, and when she did, it was with a small smile. "So, you two are not going to say anything?

Twilight looked up from her tea. "Huh? What?"

"Twilight. I know you, my dear. You hardly ever wear jewelry."

The shocked librarian looked down to her hand, where her engagement ring was. "Oh… right. I…"

"So I am correct in assuming Flash has proposed?" Her smile grew as the two of them nodded. She clapped her hands together. "Oh, how wonderful! And, if I may say so, about time!"

"What?" Flash blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, everyone could see you two wanted to be married. We were all waiting for it."

"Really?" Twilight asked, surprised. "Everyone was?"

"Yes. I do believe Rarity was the most vocal about it."

"That… That does sound like her."

"But I myself wished you two to finally decide on getting married. It was… something I hoped I would be able to see."

"What?" Twilight looked over at Celestia. The Princess smiled.

"For the girl I see as dear to me as family, and the man I watched grow up to finally declare their love for one another… it is almost like a fairy tale!" She giggled.

"Princess…"

"Well, it's happening now," Flash said, smiling and taking one of Twilight's hands. "And to be honest Princess… I wanted to ask for your blessing."

Celestia paused. "My… my blessing?"

"Yes, Princess." Twilight said with a smile. "We wanted to know you supported us."

"Why… of course I support you! Why on earth wouldn't I?" Celestia smiled warmly. "I am happier than you can imagine knowing that you two are going to tie the knot, so they say."

"Well, I have to get planning!" Twilight said, standing up. Flash had a look of horror on his face as his new fiancé went out the door, already pulling out a notepad and pen. The only thing he dreaded more than Twilight studying was Twilight planning. He sighed and followed her out.

"Stay strong, young Flash Sentry," Celestia thought with a chuckle. She got up and went into the living room, sitting on the couch as she began to process this new information. Chaos and Order… she had learned at a young age that both forces were in play in everything, from life to magic and to emotions. But they were actively trying to affect her lives now? She frowned. From what she could see now, Order was actively trying to kill her and those she cared about while Chaos was helping her. It almost made no sense. The majority of her life was dedicated to maintaining Order… There was one person she knew could help clear any confusion she had.

"Jehu Striate," She said softly.

There was a violet burst of light behind her, and next thing she knew, he had hopped over the back of the couch to sit beside her, that usual smile on his face. "You called, Princess?"

"You heard me?"

"I have good hearing," Jehu said with a small chuckle.

"Honest answer, Jehu."

"My daughter sees all, remember?"

"Isabel," Celestia said, remembering the silver haired girl. "Sounds like quite the blessing."

"Both a blessing and a curse," Jehu said softly. "As is the case with anything related to Chaos."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"If Isabel uses Tsukiyomi's powers too much and too often, she will go blind."

"What?"

"Mmhm. Such is the price she pays for the All-Seeing Eyes."

"I see," Celestia murmured. "I was curious about that. What are Chaos Spirits?"

"They are embodiments of the very Chaotic powers we wield," Jehu explained. "We bind to them and gain their powers, along with the resultant downsides. Isabel's is blindness, Passion is that overuse of her power will kill her, Ana's is that she can't feel pain…"

"Wait. Hold on one moment. Little Passion's powers will _kill_ her?"

"Only if she overdoes it, and that's why I always send Willow or Isabel with her when she's fighting. Plus, Susano'o will revive her once a month."

"I… see," Celestia said, frowning. It was still a bit confusing to her, but that was what happened when you didn't have all the information. "And your downside?"

"Overuse of Chaos magic will make me go insane," Jehu said. "Although I went through that already."

"What?"

"Long story. Let's just put it out there I killed a self-proclaimed god while amidst the throes of ensuing madness." He grinned. "Got back to the lovable maniac you see now through sheer determination and rage. Oh, and love."

"You are… quite the strange individual, Jehu Striate."

"Such is the nature of Chaos."

"I suppose that is true."

"So, Princess of the Sun. What did you want to ask?" Jehu smiled and leaned back on the couch.

"…Do you know what caused the merge?"

"Yes, yes I do." Jehu answered matter-of-factly.

Celestia stared at him in shock. "You… you know? Then why have you not told us?"

"Because you never asked."

"So you know what caused it?"

"Yeah, I thought I said that." Jehu's smile lessened a bit, since it was almost certain what Celestia's next question would be.

"Who—or what—caused it?"

Jehu sat silently for a long time. Celestia was afraid he was going to vanish or simply say he would not answer the question. Instead, she got a long sigh and the man's smile vanished from his face. His next words were tinged with regret. "…I did. I caused the Merge."

Horror. That was the first thing that ran through Celestia's mind. Then confusion. "You… how did you…?"

"Believe me when I say that I had good intentions," Jehu said quietly. He chuckled. "But I of all people should know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what an exchange program is?"

"Yes."

"That was the intent. To bring someone from Equestria here, to see how they would fit in in a human society. Ironically, that person was to be you."

Celestia blinked. "…Me?"

"I believed you to be the best candidate for an ambassador between the two planes."

"Why?"

Jehu sighed. "I'm from a place called Nexus. You heard about Gates from Twilight, correct?"

"I did. Were you watching that as well?"

"Oh, heavens no." Celestia was a bit relieved to see some of Jehu's happy disposition return. The man chuckled. "I led your faithful student to the book. It was quite entertaining to watch her face when she reads new information."

"I know that look well. It was quite adorable when she was younger."

"Well, the Gates connect different planes together, allowing residents of both to cross over easily. I've made Gates before, some not on purpose, but that's not the issue. But bringing someone from one plane to another without a gate? Never done that before."

"So how does this coincide with the Merge?"

"The spell my family and I assembled to bring you to this world… didn't go according to plan. We lost control of the spell matrix after bringing you through, and… well you've more than likely heard of the results."

"Your mistake cost the lives of many of my subjects," Celestia said harshly.

"We were actually poised to stop it once the second Equestrian came through, and were in the middle of it when the third came through… halfway." He shivered. "But then Zodiac showed up to interfere."

"Why?"

"Because they don't want us to connect the planes. Says it wasn't how the Planar Existence began, and it should stay as it is." Jehu stood up, going to one of the windows. Celestia watched him, her previous shock gone and replaced with curiosity. "We screwed up royally, fought a fight for no reason, and it ended with a lot of people—sorry, ponies—dying. And I apologize to you for that."

"…So why did you do it in the first place?"

"I want to open up all of the planes, building gateways between every universe, letting people and creatures of all species to come together in a giant melting pot style place. That's probably the best way to spark widespread change, right?"

"Change?" Celestia blinked. "That's what you want?"

"Chaos is change, Celestia. Order is stagnancy." He frowned. "Something I tried to convince the Zodiac of. But they're too set in their ways to accept it."

"All my life I believed Chaos was an evil that needed to be contained, and that I should do my best to uplift Order," Celestia said thoughtfully. "And in most cases, I was right. But hearing you talk of Chaos this way…"

"Some take it too far," Jehu admitted, moving back over to the couch. "We're constantly going from destruction or total control, and that's what causes conflict."

"I see. Sounds like a delicate balance."

"You have no idea." Celestia used her magic to bring him a glass of water. He glanced down into the cup, and then back up at her. "Just water?"

"Knowing you, you'd make it whatever you wanted."

Jehu chuckled. He tapped the lip of the glass and turned the cup of water into hot chocolate. He sipped at it. "Ah, you're right I suppose."

Celestia held back an amused giggle. "Please, continue."

"Ah right. I've been trying to fix what damage we did but… opening a gate now would be disastrous. So I'm hoping it'll work out, or I'll come up with something eventually."

"So you meant it when you said you meant us no harm?"

"Precisely. If I had done things the way I wanted, you would have been the only Equestrian here."

"…I see. Well, I hold no anger towards you, Jehu. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Mine cost your people their lives," Jehu said quietly. "But I will make up for it; I promise you that."

She reached out and touched the man's shoulder comfortingly. "You are trying to fix it, correct? That is all I could ask you to do."

"Thanks Celestia."

"Besides," She smiled. "Your dream—it is quite admirable. Perhaps one day… you could show me Nexus?"

"I'd love to." Jehu glanced at his watch and sighed. "Well, It's been fun having this chat, Celestia."

"You have to leave?"

"Yes, I can't stay forever. I have a wife and kids you know."

Celestia chuckled softly. "Ah, if only you were single."

Jehu grinned at that. "Flattering. But my wife's the jealous sort, so I'll just say I appreciate the compliment."

"Give Mercy my regards," Celestia said with a small laugh.

"I'll… pass it along. One last thing—please keep what I've told you to yourself."

"…Why?"

Jehu smirked. "Chaos is a fickle thing. I'd rather those who are trained to delve in it handle it."

Celestia sighed. "Very well, Jehu. I will keep my silence. But do I have your permission to tell Twilight about the Gates?"

"Twilight and Twilight alone. And make sure you keep her from trying to open a Gate of her own."

"As inquisitive as my former student is, I would expect no less. I will warn her of the dangers."

Thank you. Be well, Celestia."

"Tia," Celestia replied. "Call me Tia."

Jehu grinned. "Very well, Tia. Goodbye."

A doorway like opening materialized in front of the man, and he stepped through, the door closing behind him and winking out of existence. With the newfound silence, Celestia sighed and poured herself a cup of water. Processing everything Jehu had told her would take a little time—damn that man. He turned that entire pitcher of water into chocolate milk.

* * *

 **Yes, I'm quite aware of the shortness of these chapters. But I gave you two! It makes up for it!**

 **But in all honesty, these chapters are just to "kill time" as it were. They do contribute to the story, but I wanted to give the other characters some time. Besides, who wants to read a bunch of chapters detailing a hormonal Luna?**

 **As usual, Read, review, and comment, and don't forget, the Library Accepts All!  
**

 **Farvel!**


	34. Chapter 33: Blood Loyalty

**Apologies for yet another late post. I was busy editing and reediting this particular chapter, because there was a scene i really wanted to go a certain way and upon first writing it, it didn't go the way I wanted. So in order to make up for it, I'm double posting again. The chapters weren't that long regardless, but I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 33: Blood Loyalty

"I again ask: what are we doing out here?"

Ace rolled his eyes and glanced over at his sullen girlfriend. She had been this way ever since they left home, and probably would stay that way until they went back. He knew how much she hated work, but this was important. Probably having to wear a uniform didn't help either. Although Rainbow did look good in the sky-blue long-coat in the same design as his own Rarity had made for her and the rest of the Guard. "We're following orders from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. There's a mother and her daughter here that's being unfairly treated."

"So why send just us?" Rainbow frowned. "And how did the Princesses find out?"

Ace looked around at the close neighborhood they were in. A few people were watching them from porches, but otherwise they were almost alone. "Princess Luna sent out a dream message to all Equestrians. Told them to focus on her before they went to sleep to let her know that they needed help."

"And she got a message from the people we're looking for?"

"Exactly."

"So why just us?"

"Flash is still looking into the disappearances, and since Luna's getting so close to her due date, Tyr doesn't want to be too far. Grace for the same reason."

"If I know Twilight, she's probably doing all sorts of preparations for their wedding too," Rainbow said with a chuckle.

"Probably why Flash has kept himself working so hard for the past couple months," Ace agreed. After Flash had proposed, Twilight's focus had been split between examining the book she had gotten and wedding preparations. The man had gone out of his way to stay busy so he wouldn't have to be caught up in it. At the thought of a wedding ceremony, Ace glanced at Rainbow. "Hey… Dashie?"

"Yeah?"

"When do you want to get married?"

"Huh!? I… uh…" Rainbow blushed slightly and looked away. "I mean… with all that's going on, would it be right to? We're in no rush, right?"

"Not particularly, but I was just curious."

"Well… once we've dealt with all of the disappearances, then we'll do it. Okay?"

Ace smirked. He wanted to tease his fiancé a little more, but decided against it. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

They walked up the small walkway that went to the house in question. Ace knocked lightly on the door. A few moments later the door opened, and they were face to face with a rather upset looking human man. "What do you want?"

"Hello sir," Ace said as politely as possible. "I'm Ace Guard, Captain of Princess Celestia's Royal Guard, and this is Rainbow Dash, also of the Guard. I'm looking for a miss Half-Step and her daughter?"

The man scowled. "What do ya want with them?"

Ace frowned slightly. "We were asked to check on her condition. Is it alright if I speak to her?"

"…I guess. Come in."

The man moved back inside, Ace and Rainbow following. The interior of the house was nothing special, just about average for a middle class household. They were directed to the living room, where they took seats on the couch. The man vanished further into the house. "…I don't like this," Rainbow muttered.

"I agree with you there, babe," Ace replied. He adjusted the strap on his short sword so it sat better. "Guy didn't look too happy to see us."

"You're right about that…" She trailed off as the man returned, dragging a short, forest green haired Equestrian along with him.

"Here she is," the man said, shoving the woman lightly. She was thin, and wearing an off-white dress that fell to her knees.

"Half-Step?" Ace asked, getting up.

"Y-yes sir?" The woman replied in a trembling voice. She looked at Ace Guard for a long moment before her eyes widened in shock. "S-solar Knight! Sir Ace Guard!"

Rainbow noticed the grin on her fiancé's face. "Don't let it get to your head, babe," She warned.

"Heh, yeah," Ace chuckled. He motioned to the couch. "Sit, please." Half-Step sat down, and Ace moved across from her. The man of the house moved over to the far wall. Ace spared the man a passing glance before turning back to the green haired woman. "So, Princess Celestia sent me here to check on you."

"But… Princess Luna's message…" Half-Step trailed off, Ace's gaze giving her pause. "Oh."

"Princess Celestia picked me because I'm good at telling lies from truth," Ace said. H shifted slightly in his seat so his back was to the man on the wall.

"I…I see."

"So. Have you been treated well here?"

"I—" She paused, eyes darting up to the man at the wall. She froze up.

Ace spoke quietly, yet his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Eyes on me, Half-Step. Remember what I said."

The woman looked back to him. After a moment of internal conflict, she finally nodded. There was a new conviction in her eyes. "Y-yes sir."

"I'll ask again. Are you being treated well here?"

"…Yes sir."

Rainbow blinked. There was no way that woman was being treated well! She was terrified of the man who owned the house, the clothes she was wearing were obviously old, and she was too thin to be healthy! She almost spoke up, but a short hand motion from Ace made her catch herself.

Closed fist. Stay silent.

She closed her mouth, remembering all the times where speaking up had made the situation worse. So, as a lesson in restraint, she kept quiet. Ace gave her a small smile before looking back to Half-Step. "That's good. And your daughter, is she doing well?"

"Never better, sir."

"Is she fitting in around here?"

"Yes! The kids here treat her like one of their own! She's made so many friends."

"Well, that's good to hear. Where is your daughter?"

"Upstairs. Would you like me to get her?"

"Yes please. Because we're taking you from here." Ace stood up, Rainbow standing as well. The man behind him blinked as Half-Step quickly retreated upstairs.

"What? But she said—"

"Everything she just told me was a blatant lie," Ace said sharply, glaring back at the man. "Didn't you hear me? I said I can tell a lie easily."

"You…!" The man scowled. "We took them in, provided shelter and food for them, and all we get is this—ungratefulness!"

"You mistreated them, and now you expect to get some sort of compensation?" Ace walked over to the man and looked him dead in the eye, red eyes full of quiet fury. "You've got to be kidding me. If I wasn't ordered to be civil, I'd kill you where you stood, make no mistake about that."

"You Equestrians think you're just so high and mighty—"

"Do _not_ test me. I am far from being in the mood." Ace's eyes brokered no argument. "You treated my people like merchandise, and I will not let them stay here any longer."

Half-Step returned, a small blue haired girl clinging to her arm. The man spared them one glance before snorting. "…Fine! Take them! See if I care."

"Let's go," Rainbow said as softly as she could, guiding the two Equestrians out of the house. "We'll take you to a hotel for now."

The four Equestrians left, heading towards Ace's new car. "Thank you so much…" Half-Step said, sniffling.

"Don't thank us just yet," Ace said, glancing around. The formerly empty street was now almost full of people, and a small crowd of young men were coming towards them. "It seems we have trouble."

"Wonderful," Rainbow said. She glanced at Half-Step and her daughter. "You two get in the car."

The young woman and her daughter quickly obeyed, locking themselves in. Rainbow moved over to Ace's side. They were outnumbered six to one, but there was only a grim eagerness on her fiancé's face. "Is there a problem?" Ace asked quietly, hand low and near his pistol holster. Rainbow carried one as well, but she was less confident in her aim. Instead she pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves. If it came to a fight, she'd be in the thick of it, without a doubt.

"We don't think you should be walking around like you own the place," One of them said.

"We're not," Ace replied evenly. "We just came for our own."

"Think you can just barge into people's homes like this? Think again, Equestrian."

The group was slowly forming a loose circle around them. Ace frowned. "Look, we're not here to start a fight. We were just here for this woman and her daughter, so if we could just—

"We got orders too, ya know," One of the men said with a grin.

"…Orders?"

"That doesn't bode well," Rainbow muttered quietly.

"Orders from our General," The man continued. "The Scarecrow General. Our orders are to deal with you Equestrians in any way we please."

"…Buck." Rainbow spat.

The street exploded into motion, Scarecrows charging in with an assortment of weapons, from bats to chains and pipes. Before Rainbow could prepare herself, something hit her from the back, hard enough to make her black out. A rock. She was back to her feet just in time for a Scarecrow to jump on her from the front, knocking her down. Hands reached for her throat, but she kicked up into the man's groin with as much strength as she could muster. The vicious blow made him roll away, howling in pain. "That's what you get," She spat at him.

Ace was fighting a large majority of the Scarecrows, his short-sword flashing as he deflected strikes from all sides. He was working hard to not kill any of them, but she could see how hard it was for him. He was actively trying to use the flat of the blade to strike his opponents, and they were using that to pressure him. She gritted her teeth, charging one of them. Her first strike hit the back of the man's neck, stunning him for a moment and letting her grip him by the collar. With a grunt, she yanked him to the ground before delivering a brutal kick to the face to knock him out cold. She retrieved the pipe he had been holding. "Ace! Here!"

Ace barely glanced over, hand extending for the thrown pipe as his other quickly sheathed his sword. He grinned evilly. "Alright. Let's go, you punks."

He leapt into the fray with almost gleeful abandon, the steel pipe in his hands striking out in all directions and dealing vicious blows with each attack. One brutal backhand strike sent one flying, and Rainbow could see the satisfied grin on his face as the Scarecrow crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The rest of the Scarecrows, seeing the greater threat in the berserker knight, charged him. They couldn't match him—he was too fast, and was like a whirlwind of wings and metal. Rainbow watched in both awe and horror as Ace tore through the Scarecrows without a care in the world, all with that terrifying grin on his face. "Come on!" Ace roared. "Is this all you got!?"

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. With the blood knight's roar of challenge, the Scarecrows lost all will to fight and broke. "He's a monster! Run!"

In a matter of seconds, the street was clear except for the unconscious and the few seriously wounded trying to crawl away. The pipe in Ace's hands were splattered with blood, and a few drops had reached his face. Rainbow moved over to him slowly, the thrill of combat still gripping her fiancé. She touched his shoulder gently. "…Ace?" When he didn't respond, she shook a little harder. "…Ace!"

The second time she said his name seemed to snap him out of his euphoria. "…Huh? What…?" He murmured softly, blinking a couple of times as he looked at her.

"I thought I had lost you there for a bit, babe," Rainbow said with a small chuckle. "You actually managed to scare me." However, her attempt to raise his spirits seemed to work in reverse. His expression darkened, and he looked away from her.

"…I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked quietly. Rainbow stared at him

"Hurt me…? Of course you didn't, I'm fine."

"Good. Are Half-Step and her daughter okay?"

"They were in the car, so they're fine." Rainbow frowned. "Ace, what's up? You're totally bumming me out."

"Let's just go. I don't want to be here anymore."

"Ace!"

Ace turned to her, red eyes full of pain. The look in his eyes made Rainbow flinch back. "Please, Dash. We'll talk later, just… please."

She paused then, a frown crossing her face, but she simply sighed and nodded. "…Okay, Ace."

She kept her silence as they got into the car, and stayed that way even when they dropped Half-Step and her daughter off at a motel. She watched from the car as Ace paid for a week. It wasn't until he was back in the car and they were halfway home before her patience was rewarded. "…Alright," Ace said quietly. "We can talk now."

"What the heck was all that about?" Rainbow demanded instantly.

Ace sighed. He had expected the question, the intensity—now the hard part was simply answering it. "…You know how most of the guard only really serve to keep the peace?"

"Yeah, and Equestria was a safe place because of it. What about it?"

"Well, most guards only fight if they have to. People in my family… we thrive in it. We live for battle, and when the blood starts flowing… it's hard to stop. We go into a sort of battle trance that… sometimes it's almost impossible to come back from."

"So that's why you were afraid of hurting me. You thought you wouldn't be able to stop yourself."

"…Yeah…" He sighed. Rainbow scowled and hit him as hard as she could in the arm. "Ow! Damn it girl that hurt!"

"It was supposed to!" She snapped. "You really think I'd let you go into that battle trance whatever? Buck that! I'm not gonna lose you to something like that. I'd knock some sense into you if I had to!"

Ace looked at her for the longest time. "You… you really would?"

"Heck yeah I would! I love you, you big idiot!" She grinned. "And you might not have noticed, but I'm pretty protective of my loved ones."

They pulled up in front of Ace's home, both of them getting out of the car. "You're… you're crazy, you know that, Dashie?"

"Coming from the blood knight," She countered. He chuckled softly.

"Yeah, whatever."

"But you're my blood knight," She added softly, coming over to him and leaning against him. He slipped his hand into hers. "Come on. Let's get inside."

They began walking. As they reached the door, a thought occurred to the rainbow haired woman. "Hey… is Heart Song the same way? You know, battle crazed and all that."

Ace chuckled. "She handles it a bit better than me, but it's still in her blood. It… it always passes down the male line."

"So… if we have kids, they'll have it?"

"Yeah. But they'll have us to teach them how to control it. Beat too."

"…Yeah," She agreed with a smile, laying her head on his shoulder.

They went inside, finding Beat and Scootaloo sitting on the couch together. Or at least, Beat was in her wheelchair beside the couch. The younger girl jumped up as the pair entered. "Mom, Dad! You're home!"

Rainbow laughed. "You know, I still gotta get used to you calling me that."

"All in due time," Ace chuckled.

"Celestia's mane, you're covered in blood," Beat said , looking over her brother. "…Shower. Now."

Ace chuckled softly. "Yes ma'am."

He detached himself from his fiancé and daughter, headed to the bathroom. Without a word, Beat followed him, rolling herself into the bathroom. He didn't ask why she was there, only waited for her to speak. "…You got in a fight today," She said finally, softly. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her familiar reddish magical glow envelop the door. A soundproofing spell.

"Yeah. Scarecrows attacked us." Ace began undressing, not shy around his younger sister. After all, he was the one who always helped her bathe. He did stop at his underwear however. He did have a little modesty after all. "I had to protect the women we went to go help."

A lot of people didn't notice because of Beat's magic, but Ace's body was almost detailed with scars, most too faint to notice unless you really looked. There were a few new ones, thick, red and throbbing. He sat down on a little stool as she wheeled over to him. "Did you kill anyone?" She asked softly, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"No." He sighed a bit. "Although I wanted to."

She sighed. She wasn't surprised, however. The compulsion to kill was strong in them, and it was only because of her non-violent lifestyle that Beat handled her urges as well as she did. Ace was blessed to have her watching out for him, along with Princess Celestia and his friends. And now Rainbow Dash and little Scootaloo. She went back to her usual line of questioning. "What caused these?"

"Metal pipe," Ace grunted as Beat's magic began its usual work. As his little sister ran her hands long his new bruises, she spoke in a low, melodious tone, magic seeping out with every word. Her magic had split her voice, allowing her to both sing her quiet song and still be able to speak to her brother. After ever fight, every scrap, every conflict, the younger and belligerent Ace Guard had gotten into, he would always spend the night with Beat, talking to his beloved younger sister and letting her heal his wounds. She in turn enjoyed the intimate moment that could only be shared between two people born to kill. There was blood still on him and she gently rubbed at it, the red marks coming off him and staining her own fingers. Without thinking about it, she casually licked them clean. Her other hand felt the bruise along his arm.

"And this one?"

"…Rainbow Dash," Ace replied, a soft smile crossing his face. "She hit me."

"Why?"

"For being an idiot." His response was rewarded with a soft punch to his back. "Ow."

"I know that didn't hurt," Beat replied.

"It hurt my feelings."

Beat smiled. "Of course it did." She moved onto his wings, gently extending them so that she could examine them for injuries. She always loved examining her brother's wings, as she didn't have any of her own as a former unicorn. They were strong and majestic, and she let her hands gently run along them, knowing that they were sensitive. To his credit, Ace didn't react.

Ace was silent for a little bit, listening to the song. He spoke up suddenly. "We're quite blessed, little sis."

"That we are," She agreed, watching the bruise on Ace's arm fade. She moved her attentions to the few cuts and scrapes along his back and sides. "But why did you bring that up?"

"Because we have friends and loved ones that accept us." Ace turned so that his sister could get at the front of his body without too much effort. He smiled down at the pair of red eyes that looked up to meet his own. "We have family now, Heart."

Beat paused, her song almost wavering. Ace only ever called her Heart when they were alone, when he was feeling particularly affectionate. He said it was because she was the reason he kept living. His Heart. "…A family?"

"People who love us."

"So… we're not alone anymore?"

"We're only alone if we choose to be," Ace said, remembering the first of many sayings he had learned from Princess Celestia.

She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. She smiled widely. "Wonderful."

He leaned down to kiss her forehead, the last of his injuries fading away as Beat's song ended. She giggled softly at the show of affection. "Come on. I got to actually take a shower now."

"Ah, one thing I wanted to do."

"Hm? What's that?" He had already gotten up and was stretching his limbs—all six of them—and glanced back at her. Beat simply giggled and moved closer to him, hands gently taking hold of one wing. "Uh, Heart? You've done my wings already."

"You keep these in good shape," She murmured softly. She knew preening was a thing that all Pegasii did, and she knew she did it often for her brother. She found what she was looking for after a little searching.

"Ow," Ace muttered softly as his little sister plucked one long, white feather from his wing. "That one broken?"

"At the base," She said, smiling. She pulled a long, white ribbon from her pocket and quickly worked the feather into it. "That should do it."

"What are you doing back there?"

"Just go take your shower. I'll show you when you come out."

"…Fine then."

Ace climbed into the shower, content to let the day wash off of him. He stood for a long time simply letting the water run over his body. It was the same every time he let Beat heal him, but it felt a little different this time. Instead of coming out of this shower to his sister sitting and reading or watching TV, he would come out to a house full of laughter and love. Those thoughts spurred him to finish his shower quickly and get dressed. He came out to quite the strange scene. Rainbow was blushing, while his little sister was afflicted with a severe case of giggles. Scootaloo was sitting between the two, confused. It wasn't until he gave Rainbow a longer look that he noticed. Her shoulder length hair was tied back with a white ribbon, the feather from Ace's wing sewn into it and pointing off to the side. It was an attractive look, along with the fact that whenever a Pegasii gave another Pegasus one of their feathers… It was small wonder Rainbow was blushing. It was about as good as a wedding ring. He felt a blush of his own work up his cheeks. "…Oh. That's what you wanted it for."

"It looks good, doesn't it?" Beat asked, giggling.

"Does it?" Rainbow asked her fiancé. She was seriously asking—no joking there. Ace simply smiled back.

"Of course it does. I'm surprised I hadn't thought of this myself."

"I know, right?" She chuckled. "To be honest, I'm not too big on pony tails, but it's alright, I guess."

"What's so special about it?" Scootaloo asked with a frown. "I don't get it."

"Well, squirt," Ace said, patting the head of his daughter. "For a Pegasus, their feathers are important, since they help us fly."

"I know that."

"But when you give your feathers to another…" Ace looked over at Rainbow, who nodded and smiled. "That means you truly want to be with them. It's about as strong a promise as giving someone a wedding ring."

"Oh… oh wow!" She blinked. "So you really do love Rainbow Dash?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then I want a little brother."

Rainbow, in the middle of drinking some water, nearly spit it up. Ace simply chuckled and patted the violet hair. "…We'll think about it, Scoots."


	35. Chapter 34: Honest Kindness

Chapter 34: Honest Kindness

Applejack wiped her brow with the towel she kept tied to her waist. Despite how cold it was getting, working along the farm kept her warm. As she took a moment to catch her breath, she looked around at all the other workers. With how large the farm was in the human world, and since she was no longer a pony, couldn't do all the work herself. She glanced off to the side, spotting her brother carrying a large stack of boxes all by himself, without much apparent effort. She grinned. Nice to see some things didn't change.

She adjusted her hat and the bright yellow scarf she wore. It had been a spontaneous gift from her shy girlfriend when the fall and winter months had begun to set in, and she ran her hands along it lovingly. Hand stitched by Fluttershy herself, and adorned with representations of the two women's Cutie Marks. Once it had gotten cold enough, Applejack had taken to wearing it as religiously as her hat. Only thing that bothered her about it was that her brother always gave her these little smiles when he saw her wearing it. Well, not as much now, since Cheerilee had given him that silly pink wool hat. She chuckled as she thought of it. "Best be getting inside," She murmured to herself. A good time for it, too. She was starting to see her breath in the air. Rubbing her gloved hands together, she hurried back to the house.

She made it inside just as Big Mac was warming himself up by the fireplace, Applebloom hanging from his back. Their little sister looked up as Applejack came in. "Applejack! You done with yer chores already?"

"Not much for me ta do when we got so many people working for us," Applejack replied honestly. She shrugged. "Besides, it's the slow season. Not much for anyone to do."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

"Is Shy up?" Applejack asked. The quiet veterinarian didn't have to get up as early as the rest of the Apple family did, so she usually slept in on most mornings. She did, however, still have work today.

"Nope," Big Mac said simply.

"Want me to go wake her?" Applebloom asked, but Applejack shook her head.

"I'd like to do it myself, but thanks Bloom." Applejack said with a smile.

"Okay."

Applejack left her siblings and went up to her room, where she happily found a sleeping Fluttershy curled up in her bed. Her pink hair was scattered about like a halo, and the covers were only far enough up to cover her waist. Applejack smiled softly and moved over to the closest side of the bed. She gently touched Fluttershy's shoulder. "Shy… hey, Shy. Time to get up, sugar."

"Just… just a few more minutes…" Fluttershy mumbled, rolling over. Her girlfriend chuckled quietly.

"Gosh. You're like a hibernating bear. Come on sugar, time to get up!"

"I promise Angel, I'll make breakfast in a bit…"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Bit late for making me breakfast, sugar." She leaned over and gently kissed Fluttershy's cheek. Her hand gently ran down her girlfriend's side, making her shiver. As Applejack's hand reached Fluttershy's hips, the pink haired girl's eyes fluttered open, and a blush on her cheeks.

"J-Jackie! What are y-you doing?"

Applejack climbed on top of her before she could roll away, pinning the shy girl underneath her. "Punishing a sleepy girl for not wanting to get up." She grinned. Before Fluttershy could protest, Applejack had kissed her lovingly. The shy girl tried to resist, only to give in and enjoy the affection. Her delicate fingers twisted into the blonde hair of her girlfriend, inadvertently pulling it out of its normal ponytail. They broke apart moments later, both a little breathless. "…You wanna get up now?"

"Honestly?" Fluttershy asked.

"You know you can't lie to me, sugar."

"I don't." Fluttershy sighed. "But I have work."

"That you do, sugar. And I reckon it's past time you got up." Applejack indicated the nearby clock.

"Oh gosh, I'm going to be late!" Fluttershy scrambled up to a sitting position. Applejack managed to back up in time as the panicking girl got up and rushed around the room, trying to get dressed. Applejack stayed seated on the bed, a small smile on her face as she watched Fluttershy panic.

"Calm down, sugar. You won't be late."

"You don't know that!"

"Shy, I'm driving ya, remember?"

Fluttershy paused. "…Oh."

Applejack laughed. "I'm surprised you forgot."

"W-well… I've only been awake for a few minutes!"

"I know, I know. I'll go get breakfast ready for ya." She got up off the bed and went to the door. Fluttershy watched her go, eyes drawn to the scarf around her girlfriend's neck. She smiled as Applejack left. No time to dwell on her attractive girlfriend! She had to go to work!

"Did you get her up?" Applebloom asked as her older sister came downstairs.

"Yep, she's just getting herself ready." She went into the kitchen and began making a simple, small breakfast for Fluttershy. The animal lover didn't eat much, so when she said small, she meant small.

"Hey, your hair isn't in a ponytail."

"Shy do that?" Big Mac asked quietly, smirking. Applejack glared at him.

"Well, when you bring that up, seems like we both got somethin' pink messing with our heads, huh big brother?"

Big Mac blinked and blushed ever so slightly. "…Eeyup."

Fluttershy came down then, brushing out her long, pink hair. "Hello everyone," She said quietly, smiling at the other members of the Apple Family.

"Hey Fluttershy!" Applebloom called out. Big Mac nodded in greeting. After everyone in the Apple family had gotten used to the relationship between the oldest daughter and the animal lover, Fluttershy had become an almost normal sight at their home. Well, completely normal. Applebloom had joked Fluttershy had almost moved in about a month ago, and they decided to just go ahead with it. The shy girl had her own room, but slept most nights and kept most of her clothes in Applejack's room.

"Sleep well?" Big Mac asked.

"Oh, yes, I did. Quite well, in fact. Your home is so cozy."

"Come on, Shy," Applejack said, coming over with a plastic container full of food. "You'll have to eat on the way, cause you're late."

Fluttershy took the offered container, casting a fearful look at her girlfriend. "No speeding, right?"

"No promises," Applejack said with a grin.

-x-

Fluttershy let out a deep sigh as she entered the veterinarian's office. "You looks like you had a bit of a rough morning," Marilyn joked as she gave her assistant a smile.

"Jackie woke me up in a… unique way," Fluttershy offered. Marilyn chuckled.

"I understand. We don't have anything pressing today, so come sit with me for a bit."

"Oh… okay." Fluttershy took the offered seat beside her boss. Marilyn was sitting in front of the little TV she had in her office, munching on a bagel. "What are you watching?"

"Some news report. Something about some scientific breakthrough—oh look, it's Tyr's sister!"

Fluttershy frowned as Nanna came onto the screen. She was followed by something that looked like a robot, or maybe a giant metal suit? "What… what is that thing?"

"Reminds me of some anime I used to watch," Marilyn said, hand reaching out to the flower on her desk. She aimlessly began running her fingers along the colorful petals. "It's a… an exo-suit."

"What kind of suit?"

"An exoskeleton. It gives a human being extraordinary physical power using machinery."

"It looks clunky."

"Well, it's the first of its kind," Marilyn joked. They fell silent as Nanna, flanked by a pair of the exo-suit wearing men, began to speak.

"Hello everyone," Nanna said, a bright grin on her face. She took a moment to adjust her glasses before continuing. "I am happy to present the first two warriors of the Angelus Project, or as we have begun calling them, our War Angels!"

There was a low cheer as the two armored men stepped forward, raising their armored hands to wave to the gathered crowd. Nanna gave them a moment to drink in the attention before continuing. "The Angels are armed with the most high tech armaments we can give the future defenders of the human world: rapid-fire assault weapons, deployable riot-shields, micro-jet boosters for rapid redeployment, and last resort carbon coated combat knives with edges thinner than paper. And that's not even considering all the other tech we've put into these suits. They will be able to take on any opponent and vastly outmatch them." She smirked. "Even if they're Equestrian."

"That's a bold claim," Marilyn said thoughtfully.

"Those suits look scary," Fluttershy murmured. She glanced over at the flower Marilyn was gently stroking. To her surprise, the flower seemed to be reacting to her ministrations, little vines growing slowly to wrap around the gentle fingers. "…Marilyn?"

"Yes?" She looked back at her before following her gaze to the flower. She moved her hand away hurriedly. "Um… ignore that."

"What… what was that?"

Marilyn sighed. "Fluttershy… can you keep a secret?"

"I suppose I can… what is it?"

Marilyn didn't say anything at first, instead getting up and closing the office door. She locked it and turned back to Fluttershy. "It… might look a little weird, so don't get creeped out."

"I don't understand…" Fluttershy trailed off as Marilyn started to undress. Unable to hide her embarrassment, she hid her face behind her hair as the sound of clothes hitting the floor was the only sound in the room. Moment later, it stopped.

"You can look now."

Fluttershy tentatively glanced from behind her hair. What she saw made her gasp. Marilyn had almost completely changed, her skin becoming bark and her hair like long flowing vines. Her eyes were a dark, emerald color. She looked worried. Fluttershy struggled to find words for a minute. "You're a… you're a dryad," She managed finally.

"I guess I can't be surprised you know what I am," Marilyn said with a laugh. Her voice sounded a bit like wind blowing through a hollow log. "You've probably seen stuff like me before."

"I've seen some… strange beings before," Fluttershy admitted. "But I never met a dryad."

"A lot of people would say the same. You mind if I…?"

"Hm? Oh! Go ahead, please." She turned away while Marilyn changed back into her human form and got dressed. Just as the veterinarian finished, the bell on the front door rung.

"Bonjour~! Quelqu'un est-il ici?" A cheery voice called out.

"Was that another language?" Fluttershy asked as Marilyn went to the door.

"It was," Marilyn said. "But French? The only person who comes in here speaking French is—"

"Hey!" Passion said with a bright grin. "How are you, Miss Marilyn?"

The two women stared at the young girl for only a moment, before Marilyn went forward to embrace the younger girl. "Passion! It's been a while!"

Fluttershy was quite surprised. "You know Passion, Marilyn?"

"Yes, I've been taking care of her family's pets for a while."

"Although it was harder to bring them to you after you moved," A soft voice pointed out. Isabel came in then, followed by a pure white fox. "Hello, Marilyn."

"Good to see you, Isabel," Marilyn said. She knelt down as the fox walked over to her. "And hello to you too, Chroma."

"Such a pretty white coat…" Fluttershy murmured. She looked up at Isabel. "What seems to be the issue?"

Isabel frowned, her hazel eyes a little duller than normal. "Passion?"

"It was Viola, I believe," Passion said, kneeling in front of the fox. She held out her hand and spread the fingers. Almost instantly, a golden sigil appeared in the air in front of her, and the white fox separated into seven different colored foxes, each a different color of the rainbow. The violet one coughed. "See? She has a cough."

Fluttershy was frozen in shock. "What…? But how…?"

"Ah, sorry Fluttershy." Isabel smiled. "Chroma is a spirit wolf that normally inhabits the body of our father's pet-friend, January."

"Pet-friend…?"

"Like your friend Tyr and Chrysalis."

"Oh, I see. But this…"

"One for each color of the rainbow!" Passion said with a giggle, picking up Viola and carrying her into the back room. Marilyn followed, the small pack of foxes following at her heels. Fluttershy and Isabel did as well, the latter feeling her way along using the wall. Fluttershy noticed.

"Um… Isabel? Are you all right?"

"You are quite perceptive," Isabel said with a small laugh. "But don't worry about me. I'm simply suffering from after effects."

"After effects of what?"

"Well, it should be no surprise to you that my family and I aren't exactly human," Isabel said. "My particular power if overused causes me to go temporarily blind."

Fluttershy gasped quietly. "Oh my…"

"It isn't permanent, thank goodness. But it is quite the impediment."

Marilyn peeked out from one of the examination rooms. "Fluttershy, do you mind helping me?"

"Oh, sure!" Fluttershy went into the room, doing her best to not step on any of the rainbow colored foxes. Viola was on the table, and Marilyn was checking down the violet fox's throat. "What do you need me to do?"

"Seems it's just a sore throat. Can you go get a bowl of liquid medicine for me?"

"Sure." Fluttershy went and quickly retrieved the necessary medicine, putting it into a bowl with a bit of water. She set it in front of the fox. "Here you go little one. Drink up."

The violet fox began to lap at the bowl, encouraged by Marilyn's gentle hand on her back. The woman looked up at their guests. "So why didn't Jan come with you?"

"Dad needed her for something," Passion said. "So Izzy came with me!"

"Can't let our little fireball out alone," Isabel pointed out with a small laugh. "And Ana was busy."

"Is Viola going to be okay?" Passion asked Marilyn. The veterinarian smiled.

"She should be fine. The medicine we gave her should ease her throat."

"Wonderful!"

The violet fox leapt down from the table to join its brothers and sisters, only a moment passing before they all converged back into their pure white body. Marilyn gently pet the head of the fox. "Don't hesitate to come back by if you need our help, alright?"

"Of course," Isabel said with a nod. "Come on, Passion-fruit. We've got other errands to run."

"Kay!" Passion and Chroma went over to the elder Striate, Passion taking hold of her sister's hand to help her navigate out of the office. As they reached the door, Passion waved back at them. "Jusqu'a ce que nous reverrons, les amis!"

"What did she say?" Fluttershy asked as their guests left.

Marilyn smiled. "She said: 'Until we meet again, friends'."

"You know French?"

"That's my native language," Marilyn pointed out, going back into the office and straightening up. Fluttershy followed. It seemed a bit strange that she was just learning these things about her boss now.

"Marilyn… is something going on?"

"Hm? Why do you ask?"

"You didn't have to tell me about… what you were."

"Well… it gives more of an explanation for the next thing I'm going to tell you." Marilyn turned back to the shy girl. "Among my people… there's a festival held annually that all dryads and our cousins attend. I… kinda have to go."

"How… how long will you be gone?"

"…About a month."

"Oh my," Fluttershy murmured. "Do I need to watch the office?"

"I hate asking this of you…" Marilyn said. "I normally get a friend of mine to at least feed the animals, but I'll feel so much better if you're here."

Fluttershy frowned. To be perfectly honest, she didn't have any plans for the next month. Well, other than trying to spend as much time with Applejack as possible. And spending time with animals was always a joy, so her decision was easily made. "I wouldn't mind at all, Marilyn."

"Oh, thank you so much!" The blonde woman embraced Fluttershy, the smell of oak and nature wafting from her. Now that Fluttershy knew she was a dryad, the fact that the smell seemed to permeate the vet's office made complete sense. Marilyn suddenly let her go. "Oh, I still have to get ready… and I haven't packed anything for my son yet…"

"Well, you could go home early, if you like," Fluttershy offered. Marilyn had been so nice to her over the past year—why shouldn't she return the favor? "I can… I can handle things here."

"You… you can?" Marilyn looked shocked. "I… that would be so great of you… You really don't mind?"

"Not at all. Besides, Jackie will be less busy on the farm so maybe she can help me."

"Your girlfriend, right? That would be good!"

"Yes, it would."

"Well, I'm going to run. It's a long trip back home. Thank you again for this, Fluttershy. I'll have to repay you somehow."

"It's quite alright," The shy girl asserted.

After a few more thanks, Marilyn finally left. That left Fluttershy alone in the office. She sighed. She really hoped Applejack came by soon. Whenever she was alone, it reminded her of the times she wasn't with her friends or her animals, when she felt like the world was too big for her. She started to regret telling Marilyn she could leave. She let out a sigh.

"Such a heavy sigh," A voice said. "Someone must be lonely."

She jumped. "H-huh? Who was that!?" She whirled around, but she was entirely alone. Or so she thought. Before she could ask again, Fenrir hopped up onto the counter, a small smirk on her face. "F-Fenrir?"

"Hello, shy one." Fenrir stretched out her legs.

"Um… why are you here? And I don't think you can sit there…"

"I came here because I heard you are good with animals."

"What do you need from me?"

"I would like… a grooming."

"…What?"

"To be honest, I would have my Alpha do it, but… it is… difficult to ask him." She frowned, blushing slightly and looking away. "I overheard from my Alpha that you were gentle with animals."

"But you're a…" She trailed off, just as Fenrir transformed into her wolf form. "Oh. That's right. You can do that. Well… I didn't have anything else to do at the moment…"

Moments later, the pink haired woman found herself giving a wolf almost the same size as her a thorough brushing and scrubbing. To her credit, she was handling being so close to a creature this large with some ease. Not sure what else to do, she tried to start up a conversation. "So… Fenrir? You said you couldn't ask Tyr to do this…"

A voice spoke in her mind, a more ethereal version of Fenrir's speaking voice. [He has been unusually… restless.]

Fluttershy assumed that was how Fenrir communicated when she was in her wolf form. "Restless? How so?"

[He and his mistress have been stressed lately] Fenrir thought-spoke, lying down. [Alpha has been keeping up his cheerful demeanor, but Luna's approaching due date has him a bit… out of sorts]

"Have you told Chrys? She could help, right?"

[She has tried. It has alleviated some of the stress…] Fenrir huffed. [It might be because of the disappearances]

"I overheard from Dashie," Fluttershy said. "She and the knights have been working themselves ragged trying to figure out what's happening…"

[Indeed]

"I hope everything will be alright…"

[…As do I]

They stayed in a companionable silence for a little while. Fluttershy was able to devote more focus to her task, giving Fenrir's rich dark coat a lot of attention. She was even beginning to enjoy doing it. Fluttershy had finished and was putting her things back up when Fenrir spoke again. "Fluttershy."

"Yes?" She turned back from putting away the brushes. Fenrir was seated on the table in her human form, a deep frown on her face. "What's wrong?"

"What would you do for my Alpha?" She asked quietly.

Fluttershy blinked. The question was so random and out of nowhere so she had to take a moment to respond. "Um… What do you mean?"

"If he needed your help… would you help him?"

"I would like to help Tyr if he needed my help… although I don't know what I would be able to do…"

Fenrir's frown faded, and she smiled a little. "Everyone can do something. You simply have to be in the right place at the right time."

"I suppose that is true…"

"I should be going." Fenrir hopped off of the table. "You did a good job on my coat, Fluttershy. I feel quite refreshed."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. I quite enjoyed doing it." She thought for a moment. "Um… Fenrir? Can I ask a question?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"…What are you?"

Fenrir paused. "…Quite the question. Do you really want to know?"

"I just found out my boss is a dryad. Unless you're planning to kill me, or are a dragonequus, I doubt I'll be too put off."

"Fair point," Fenrir conceded with a laugh. "Well, what do you think I am?"

"A… a spirit of some sort?"

"Close. I am a Chaos Spirit. Tyr made a pact with me to share my power."

"A Chaos Spirit?"

"Do not worry too much on it. Just know that I mean you no harm, and I simply want what's best for my Alpha. Have a nice day, Fluttershy."

Fenrir left then, bushy tail trailing after her. Fluttershy watched her go, frowning. Chaos Spirit? She had never heard of something like that, specifically. Although she knew of a Spirit of Chaos… She sighed. She had a sinking feeling that wouldn't go away, even when a customer came in an hour later. She kept up a gentle demeanor and a helpful attitude the whole time, however. Although she was only excited when Applejack came in. "Jackie!"

"Hey there, sugar," Applejack said amiably, walking in. "Decent haul today?"

"Not sure if you can call it a haul, Jackie…" Fluttershy giggled. She was in the middle of giving a puppy a shot, and she was rubbing it's belly to comfort it.

"Oh, right. Makes sense. Sorry about that."

"It's alright. What are you doing here?"

"Figured you might wanna grab lunch or something together."

Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle. "I really would like that, but I don't have anyone to watch the shop."

"Oh, come on sugarcube. Ya could just toss up a 'out to lunch' sign or something."

"Well… I suppose I could…"

"Come on!" She leaned on the table. "I want to spend the day with ya, sugar."

"…When you put it that way…"

"Come on then!" She grinned. "Hurry up and finish so we can go!"

Fluttershy smiled. She had to admit, seeing Applejack as excited as Pinkie Pie was pretty cute. She finished what she was doing. "Alright. We can go."

"Perfect!" Before Fluttershy could utter another word, Applejack had dragged her out, only allowing her to lock the door behind her. And then they were off. Despite not knowing exactly what the future held, the shy girl and her habitually honest girlfriend were confident that they would get through it together.

* * *

 **And there we have it. This is the last of my "side chapters" and the next chapter will be back to focus on our dear Princess of the Night and her precious Knight. I appreciate the feedback on these chapters, as I do occasionally feel I'm giving all the spotlight to Tyr and Luna. Glad you all appreciate what I did.**

 **If you were wondering, the scene I was diligently working at was the scene between Beat (read: Heart Song) and her brother Ace Guard. I really wanted to convey the bond the two of them share, and the unifying trait the both of them have to live with. At first, it came off as a bit creepy and not at all what I intended, but in the end I think I managed something both sweet and heartfelt at the same time.**

 **Oh my. I've added quite the footnote here. ...Ahem.**

 **As a side note, the last language I used to Danish. Before I forget. :P**

 **Anyways, read review and return again for the next chapter, and all opinions or comments are welcome. The Library Accepts All.**

 **Vaarwel! (This one's Dutch, just in case anyone wonders. :D)**


	36. Chapter 35: Moonrise

**Greetings, fair people! I totally thought yesterday was a Thursday. Go figure. But I am here, and the next chapter is here as well.**

 **PBJ: The spell Jehu and his family used was interrupted by Zodiac, corrupting what it was supposed to do. Ponies were taken apart due to this fact since no one was actively controlling it. Chaos is a fickle thing, after all. Gotta watch that sucker like a hawk.**

 **I did consider that not all of the Mane Six would end up in the human world. But at the same time, that one is more my preference. I felt it would be a little weird to have some of them and not all. Especially considering the pairings I did. :P**

 **But anyway.**

 **Welcome back to Tyr and Luna handle a Magical Pregnancy! (lol)**

* * *

Chapter 35: Moonrise

"He's certainly getting good with that sword," Vanna murmured, sipping at his cup of tea. He, Sherry and Luna sat on the back porch of the castle keep, seated at a small table. They were watching Tyr and Grace sparring in the large yard. Chrys was busy playing with Snow, while Trixie was watching from another spot under a tree. She was half watching and half reading a book. The two knights were focusing on sword skills, and with Grace's constant exercise and practice with Tyr, the two of them were forming a deadly duo. "So is she."

"Enjoying what you see?" Chrys asked, smirking. She picked up Snow and came over to the table. Vanna frowned at her, but didn't respond. Vanna and the red headed knight had gone on several dates in the past month, although nothing had gone official yet. What did happen was that Vanna became a more common sight in the Hymir household. Tyr didn't mind, as having his old friend over made him happy. Plus, it gave him another way to embarrass Grace, which was rapidly becoming a favored pastime in the house.

"Her form is improving vastly," Vanna pointed out. "And Tyr must have had a past life or something, cause he picked it up super quick."

"He has indeed," Luna agreed. "His magic has progressed splendidly as well."

"No kidding? Well, having you and Chrys teaching him probably helped."

"Trixie helped as well!" Trixie complained. The four at the table laughed—Trixie had tried to act mostly impassive, but she still liked being involved.

Vanna looked over at Luna for confirmation. The midnight princess nodded. "Trixie has been a great help to us. Because of my encroaching date of birth, I've been unable to help Tyr practice his magic. All my magic is directed at keeping the baby healthy."

"I was wondering about that," Vanna said, sipping at his tea. He dusted a leaf off of the lap of his dress. Another Rarity original, made with multiple tones of metallic colors. Ever since he had modelled for the seamstress, he had access to as many dresses he wanted. "You're using your magic to help the baby?"

"The children born from Alicorns are born with immense magical potential," Luna explained, rubbing her enlarged stomach gently. "If not kept in control, it could cause them harm before they are born."

"That would be terrible." Vanna snorted. "Hey, you thought of any names?"

"Names?" Luna blinked. "…No. I haven't thought of any."

"Oh, that's no fun. You have to have something!"

Luna thought for a moment. Her face scrunched up for a moment before a slow understanding crossed her face. "…Aleron."

"What?"

"For a boy, if I have one. Aleron. A name that means Knight." She smiled softly. "It just came to me."

"I like it," Vanna said after a moment's thought. "But you're having twins, right? Gonna have Tyr come up with the other name?"

"I… believe I will." She looked over at Tyr, who was helping Grace up. Apparently the female knight had tripped on a hole in the ground. They were laughing about it. As she watched them, a dark gaze crossed over her, and a voice she had been ignoring for several months made a fateful appearance.

[He seems to be having fun with that woman] It whispered. Luna grit her teeth. She knew Grace and Tyr were close friends, but that was it, correct? They were _only_ friends. They were close because Grace lived with them. That was it. She was the one having his children after all. And Vanna and Grace were dating.

[They aren't official. They aren't a _couple_ yet]

Fact. Although Grace and Vanna were going on dates, neither was claiming the other as a significant other. Grace was still free to go after any man she wanted.

"Hey, Luna?" Vanna spoke up. "You got a dark look in your eyes, girl."

"Huh?" Luna's expression cleared up immediately, and she found everyone at the table looking at her.

"You all right, mom?" Sherry asked softly. Luna looked from face to face, eyes wide. She shook her head to clear her mind.

"Y-yes, I'm alright. I had a little pain. That is it."

"Are they kicking?" Vanna asked eagerly. Luna giggled. For a man, Vanna was quite girlish at times.

"Occasionally. Nothing too hard though."

"Ah, I'm looking forward to this!" Vanna grinned. "Papa Tyr!"

"He already has a daughter," Sherry pointed out.

"Yeah, but you weren't a baby when Tyr adopted you." He ruffled Sherry's hair playfully. "Plus, you're like a perfect little girl."

Sherry blushed. "I'm not perfect…"

Chrys chuckled. "The girl is extremely modest, Vanna."

"Probably gets it from my dear friend over there," Vanna agreed.

Luna glanced back over to where Tyr and Grace were discussing something, both sitting on the grass resting after their session. The voice began to speak again, but she quickly found another subject. "S-Sherry, how goes your examination of the Rubrik?"

Sherry frowned slightly, glancing down at the artifact in question. "I've been able to issue it some simple commands, but… I can't open it."

"Open it?"

"I can just feel there's something inside that I have to get out," Sherry continued. "Well, unless this thing opens up on its own, I'm not getting into it."

"Thing gives me bad vibes," Vanna murmured, looking at the cube. "Just… feels weird to me."

"It used to be like that for me too. But I got used to it, I guess."

"You guys and your magic…"

"It is as much a part of us as your metal working," Chrys pointed out. The metal smith reached over and gently scratched behind Snow's ear. The cat meowed happily at the attention.

"I suppose that's true."

While the conversation continued, Luna again found herself looking over at Tyr and Grace. To her own dismay, she couldn't say that she hadn't been wary of the red headed woman. Despite her constant complaints to the contrary, Grace was quite attractive. And she and Tyr got along splendidly, almost like a man and his younger sister. [You know better than that]

She had to agree with the voice. She had no doubt Grace would have tried to get Tyr if Luna wasn't around. However, yet again, her train of thought was interrupted. A bright voice called out. "Auntie!"

"What—?" Luna began, right before she was embraced by Cadance. "Cadance…? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Shiny and I came for the babies, obviously!" She grinned, her smile alleviating some of the darkness in Luna's mind. She had been having the thoughts a lot more often lately, which she mostly attributed to stress and her nearing due date. She decided to just be happy her niece came to see her.

"Thank you for coming, Cadance."

The Princess of Love smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Shining had gone over to where Tyr and Grace were. "Hey you two. Having fun?" He grinned.

"Shining Armor!" Grace said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Cady wanted to be here for when the baby was born," Shining pointed out. "So I tagged along."

"Good to see you," Tyr said, sharing a friendly fist-bump with the man. "Moonie's been saying it's going to be soon, so you probably won't have to wait too long."

"Well, that's good to hear. Excited to be a dad?"

"I'm already a dad," Tyr pointed out.

"These will be _your_ kids though," Shining pointed out. "As in, not adopted. You gotta teach these kids everything, man."

"…You have a point there."

"He'll be fine," Grace said, putting a hand on Tyr's shoulder. The man looked over at her, and she gave him a warm smile. "He's already a wonderful father to Sherry."

"Thanks Grace," Tyr said, smiling back. Shining looked between them.

"You two got close since the last time I saw you," He pointed out.

"Grace has been living here with us," Tyr explained. He pulled her into a one armed hug. "On top of dating my best friend, she's becoming like a sister to me."

Grace made a face. "Probably because you _do_ treat me like a sister! You're always teasing me!"

Suddenly, Cadance was there, pushing them gently apart. "Don't do that!" She hissed. The others stared at her in shock.

"Uh… Cady?" Shining murmured, looking to his wife for an explanation. "What's wrong?"

"You may not know this," Cadance began, looking directly at Tyr. The woman's eyes were serious, and Tyr swallowed heavily. "But an Alicorn's emotions are more deeply tied into their magic than you think."

"What do you mean?" Grace asked.

"You weren't here when Aunt Luna thought Tyr had died," Cadance said. "But she nearly attempted to level the city."

"Oh my…"

"And on top of that, this is a really sensitive time for her. She's having _babies_. Her emotional state is extremely on the fritz."

Tyr sighed. "You're right. And I know she's been having weird dreams too, but there's not much I can do about that except hold her."

Cadance sighed. "Oh, Tyr…"

"But once the twins are born, she'll be happy, right?" He smiled. "And hopefully everything sorts itself out."

"I heard that," Shining said, only to be glared at by his wife. "What?"

"Ha ha, Shiny," Cadance said dryly.

"You two are ridiculous," Grace said, laughing.

Cadance kissed her husband's cheek. "But I love him anyway."

Tyr looked away from the happy couple to his own lover, their eyes meeting for a moment. Luna's face was impassive, and he gave her a little smile. She smiled back lightly, her eyes momentarily looking serpentine. He blinked, and they were normal again. Odd. He turned back to his friends to find Cadance grilling Grace for information on her own love life. Apparently, she had already spilled the beans, and the Princess of Love turned to him. "Grace is dating your best friend?"

"Yeah, Vanna. Why?" He blinked.

"Who is he?"

"He's sitting over there with Luna and Sherry."

Both Cadance and Shining looked over at the table. Shining frowned. "Tyr… there's only women over there."

"You see the one with the long black hair?"

"Uh huh."

"Tan skin?

"Uh huh…"

"That's Vanna."

Both of them turned to him sharply. "No way," Cadance said simply.

"But that's…" Shining trailed off, looking to Grace for confirmation. She nodded.

"Vanna's a crossdresser," Grace said, blushing slightly.

Shining whistled. "I would never have guessed."

"He makes for a pretty girl," Cadance agreed. She shrugged. "Love takes all kinds."

"L-love!?" Grace blushed furiously. "I'm not…! I don't…"

"Can't hide it from me, sister!"

"Is everyone going to be teasing me?" Grace groaned, resting her head in her hands.

Tyr chuckled. "You're easy to tease, Grace."

"You don't say…"

"Come on Grace. Let's go again." He stood up and retrieved Fenrir.

"…Alright," Grace said, standing as well. She took hold of her bracelet charm, and her sword appeared in a flash of light. Cadance and Shining went over to join the others at the table, leaving the two knights to face off. Grace took up a spot across from Tyr, blade held at the ready. "Ready whenever you are!"

There was a cry from the people at the table just as they began to spar again. Tyr glanced over, seeing everyone in a big crowd. He felt his blood run cold as Cadance called out to him. "Tyr! Get the truck!"

"What?" Grace murmured, confused. "Why?"

"Luna's water broke!"

For one of the few times in his life, Tyr almost fainted.

-x-

"Where is she?" Celestia asked, bursting into the hospital a couple hours later. Twilight and Flash were on her heels, followed by Ace and Rainbow Dash. They came into a waiting room full of all of Tyr's close friends, but the man himself was missing. "…Where is Tyr?"

"In there with her," Chrys said quietly. "They didn't want all of us in there."

"Apparently we were too rowdy," Sherry added.

Shining sighed. "More like Cady was too excited. You were freaking out more than Tyr."

The woman in question scowled at him. "Well, sorry for being excited my aunt is having a baby!"

Celestia sighed. "Where is my sister's room?" She asked a nearby nurse.

"You're Princess Celestia, correct? Follow me please." The nurse led Celestia down a nearby hall before stopping in front of one room. "Here. Her fiancé is already in here."

"I understand. Thank you." She entered the room. Tyr looked up from his spot beside Luna as she came in. She was given a small smile from the midnight princess, Tyr managing one as well.

"Hello sister," Luna said, wincing slightly as a bit of pain took hold of her. Celestia used her magic to pull over a chair.

"How are you feeling?"

"Occasional pain," She told her. "And now we are simply waiting for the contractions to begin."

Celestia gently stroked her little sister's hair. It was in these moments she could truly appreciate the calmness of her younger sister. She was very collected even though in a bit of time she would become a mother. Likewise, Tyr seemed calm as well. "Are you all right as well, Tyr?"

"I'm doing okay," Tyr replied with a smile. "Just worried for her."

"You're not the one having the baby," Luna teased. Tyr rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever."

Celestia giggled. "I'm happy to see you so worried over my sister, Tyr. It is yet another reminder of how much you love her."

Tyr smiled and took hold of his fiancé's hand. "Of course I love her."

"And I love you, Beloved," Luna said, resting her other hand over his. [As long as you don't betray me]

Celestia chuckled. "Well, now we just wait for the contractions to get closer together."

"…That is something I am not looking forward to."

"You'll have us with you the whole time."

Tyr and Celestia stayed with Luna for the whole period she was in that room, sticking by her side even as the contractions grew worse and worse. Celestia was constantly giving words of encouragement while Tyr did his best to soothe his fiancé's pain. But there was only so much they could do. It was several hours later, during a calm period, that Tyr drifted off. However, he was barely under when a soft voice called to him. "Mr. Hymir?"

He woke up slowly, eyes opening a bit to see who spoke to him. A tall woman with dark sea-blue hair stood over him, her eyes a little full of concern. A cursory glance established that she wasn't Equestrian, but probably just someone that dyed their hair.

"…Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Genesis," The woman said, smiling. It turned a little strange. "I have a little bit of bad news."

"What is it?" He straightened up, finding Celestia looking at him from across Luna's bed. The Midnight Princess herself was frowning, beads of sweat still on her forehead from previous contractions.

"We were beginning to worry once the contractions started getting especially painful," Dr. Genesis said, clipboard held to her chest. "So we had one of our Equestrian doctors use their magic to give us a look into your stomach."

"Spit it out already!" Luna snapped. Dr. Genesis took the harsh tone in stride—obviously she had dealt with pregnant women often.

"Your body is a bit too small to allow the children to be born naturally," Dr. Genesis said. "Considering you're giving birth to twins, and magical children at that, you may not come out of the birthing process unscathed."

"But will the babies be alright?" Celestia asked.

"…There might be complications."

"Then what do we do?" Luna demanded.

"A C-section would be the optimal decision."

"…A what?"

"Surgery," Tyr said. "They'd perform surgery to retrieve the babies safely."

"And there would be no harm done to my sister?" Celestia asked.

"None. There would be nothing to worry about except for the scar that would be left."

Luna and Celestia looked over at Tyr. The man frowned, but he was certain of what he wanted. "…That's great. Whatever you need to do for everything to work out."

"Wonderful!" Dr. Genesis smiled. "We'll have our best surgeons doing the operation, Princess. Everything will be just fine."

"Will… Will Tyr and my sister be allowed in with me?" Luna asked.

Dr. Genesis bit her bottom lip. "Well… No. One of them can, but we do not want to crowd the room."

"Let Celestia go with her," Tyr said. "If you need her, her magic might come in handy."

"Beloved…" Luna gripped Tyr's hand worriedly. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"It'll be alright, Moonie. I'll be waiting for you when you come back out."

"You will? Promise me."

"I promise you. The moment you wake up from the anesthesia, the only thing keeping me from being the first person you see will be what direction you turn your head."

She giggled at that. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand. "Very well, my beloved. I will… see you soon."

Dr. Genesis peeked out into the hall and called in some orderlies. They got Luna into a wheelchair and wheeled her out into the hall and down to the surgery room. Celestia followed, Tyr keeping pace a little bit behind. Upon reaching the surgery room, Luna glanced back one last time. Tyr gave her a small smile to assure her just before the doors closed. With his fiancé out of sight, he let out a deep sigh. "…Damn."

He felt useless. A trained sniper without a target to shoot, a swordsman with no enemy to fight, and a knight with no princess to protect. He didn't have much in the way for a purpose, so he wandered down to the waiting room where all his friends waited. Most sat up upon seeing him. "Is it over?" Ace asked.

"She's going into surgery," Tyr explained, just before everyone else bombarded him with questions. "They say it's the safest way for the babies to be born."

"That way there won't be any complications," Twilight said thoughtfully. "Is Princess Celestia with her?"

"She is. They said I couldn't be in there so that the room wouldn't be too crowded."

"Rough, bro," Shining said.

Tyr shrugged. "Such is life, I guess. I figured I'd run out and get something to eat while we waited."

"If we had known we'd have gotten you something, sugarcube," Applejack said.

"Nah, it's fine. I won't be more than a few minutes." He glanced over at Sherry, who was sitting beside Chrys. "Want me to bring you something?"

"Please," Sherry said, smiling.

"Sure love. I'll be back, everyone." He waved to them all then, heading outside into the dark. As much as he didn't like leaving the hospital in a situation like this, but his stomach demanded attention, and he'd be too distracted to do anything else with his stomach acting up. He chuckled. Food would do him good. He pointed his keys at the truck and pressed the button on the little remote, hearing the doors unlock. The next thing he heard—and felt—was something heavy, knocking him out cold before he hit the ground.

-x-

Chrys perked up. The sudden cessation of thought from her Master had caught her attention. "…Sherry?" She ventured softly.

"Yeah, Chrys?" The pink haired girl looked up at her adoptive sister. "What is it?"

"I will be back in a moment. I am going to the restroom."

"Okay."

The lie didn't sit well with the green haired woman, but she had more pressing matters to deal with than her own morality. She moved swiftly down the hospital halls, weaving through staff and other visitors. She exited the hospital and went out into the parking lot. Almost instantly, something shiny attracted her attention. It was a ring of keys, specifically Tyr's keys. "What are these doing here…?"

"What's that you got there?"

She whirled on the spot, going into a defensive stance. However, she found herself face to face with the three Royal Knights, each of them with a worried look on their face. She paused. "…Why are you three out here?"

"You ran off suddenly," Grace pointed out.

Flash frowned. "Plus, you didn't even go in the direction of the bathrooms."

"Something up?" Ace asked.

Chrys stared at them for a long time. If she could trust anyone, it would be these three. "…I cannot sense my Master's thoughts," She said softly. Her mind was in a fog, the lack of feeling from Tyr making her feel cold and alone. She shivered.

"You can't?" Grace asked.

"No. I can simply sense that he is alive, and nothing else. I cannot feel his feelings, or hear his thoughts…" She hugged herself, hoping to stave off the cold she felt. It didn't help much.

"Tyr's truck is still here," Flash pointed out. "…Means he didn't leave on his own."

"Think he was kidnapped?" Ace asked.

"Would make the most sense."

"Who would kidnap Tyr?" Grace asked, frowning. "Scarecrows, you think?"

Ace nodded. "That would be my guess," He said.

There was silence. They all knew what needed to be done, but no one wanted to say it. Chrys spoke up. "I'm going after him."

"Alone?" Grace asked, a little shocked.

"If I must."

"What if he's heavily guarded?"

"Then we go with her," Ace said with a grin. "We're not going to let you do this alone, Chrys."

Flash nodded. "Tyr is our friend too. We're not going to leave him high and dry."

"As much as I feel we should get the rest of the guard…" Grace began, only to have Ace shove her lightly in the arm.

"Come on Grace," He said. "You know we can't do that. We'd take way too long."

"Sometimes I feel like we don't bother using the guard for what they're for," Grace said flatly. She sighed, and then turned a gentle smile towards Chrys. "But Tyr is like the brother I never had. Let's go get him."

"Rescue mission time!" Ace cheered, grinning widely. "Alright, let's get armed and dangerous!"

Chrys was silent while the three knights discussed their plans. After a minute, she finally spoke up. "…Thank you."

The three of them looked over at her. Flash smiled. "Thank us when this is over and done with. Now let's get going."

"Do you know where Tyr was taken?" Grace asked Chrys as they walked to Ace and Flash's cars, which were parked beside each other. The Changeling thought for a moment, and nodded.

"I cannot hear his thoughts, but I can still sense where he is. I can lead us to him."

"So now we just get firepower," Ace said. "And then bring on the hurt!"

-x-

It was silent in the room as Celestia watched over her sister. The surgery had finished almost a half hour ago, and it was getting into the early hours of the morning. Now she was just waiting for two things: her sister to wake up from anesthesia, and Tyr to return. Hopefully one of those things happened before the other…

"…sister…?"

Celestia looked over sharply, seeing Luna's half lidded eyes focusing on her. She put on her best cheery face. "Lulu! You're awake!"

"Did everything… did everything go okay?"

"Yes it did," Celestia said, gently brushing Luna's hair away from her face. "The doctors are looking after the babies for now to make sure of that, however."

"I see…" She rolled over to her other side, missing Celestia wincing as she did so. There was silence for a moment. "…Where is Tyr?"

"He stepped out for a moment," Celestia said. "He'll be back soon."

"…He promised." Luna's voice was quiet. Celestia could have sworn she heard something broken in her sister's voice as she repeated what she said. "He promised he'd be here."

"Luna, he—" The door opened behind her. For a moment, relief flowed through Celestia. "See? Here he is now…" She trailed off, seeing the familiar form of Dr. Quick as he entered the room. Whatever relief she had was suddenly dashed. In the back of her mind, she heard Luna repeating her phrase like a mantra. He promised. He promised. He promised.

"Hello Princess," Dr. Quick said, smiling. If he noticed Luna's murmuring, he didn't show it. "Did everything go alright?"

"They said everything was fine," Celestia said. "But they wanted to keep the babies under observation for a short while."

He Promised.

"Understandable," The Equestrian doctor said with a nod. Suddenly, he yawned. "Oh my. I apologize Princess, I must be more tired than I… thought…"

He slumped to the ground, asleep. Celestia stared at him in shock, trying to get to her feet. But a strong grip on her hand stopped her. A deathly cold began rolling up her arm as she turned back to her sister. "…Luna?"

…He promised.

"Hello, dear sister," Nightmare Moon hissed, smiling evilly. "Did you miss me?"

-x-

* * *

 **So. Is that the kind of mood swing you were thinking about?**

 **On the note of Merge speculation, I did originally intend to have humans end up in Equestria, but the Merge was simply called that because it merged human and Equestrian cultures. It did take part of Equestria and put it in the human world, but it didn't "replace" or "exchange" so much as "add". As if makes me happy that some of you read Convergence, I guess I have to address that, lol.**

 **But I digress. Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, as the tension hits a whole new peak. The Library will be waiting, and Accepts All.**

 **Sbohem! (Czech this time. :P)**


	37. Chapter 36: Eclipse

**Happy Friday, Dear Readers. I hope you've had a decent week. I managed to finally get around to watching the MLP season 5 finale and it just served to remind me why Time travel is too much work to be worth it. Still a good pair of episodes though. Starlight Glimmer was one of those characters I felt needed redemption of some sort. But that's just me.**

 **PBJ: I'm glad I managed to incense you to the point where you'd review as a guest! :3 But as I saw it, as long as Luna never accepted what Nightmare Moon was to her, a part of it would always live on in her. It was a being born from her own jealousy and negative emotions, right? So in a sense, it was never truly "destroyed" as it/she could simply be born again. And I know the feels when it comes to non M-rated stories. You'd think people were just looking for clop. But I'm glad there are people at least reading, if not reviewing, and I just hope that me not directly addressing any of those comments doesn't make them think otherwise. A lot of times, I'm not completely able to address all of the comments, or I can normally respond to most of them in a big group. But I'll do better. Just stay with me guys/girls!**

 **.Nothing.0: Machine Head. I had one of those "ah..." moments when i read your comment. Well played sir.**

 **Chaddmychal: It brings a smile to my face whenever I see comments from you and comments like yours. Glad you're sticking with me, and thanks for the continued views!**

 **Okay, I think I'm done for now. BUT! I got a story to tell! Onwards!**

* * *

Chapter 36: Eclipse

"Does anyone else feel a little cold?" Rarity asked, shivering a bit and rubbing her arms. She and all the others were still in the waiting room, half of them asleep. At her statement, Vanna shivered as well.

"Now that you mention it," the metal smith said. "It did kinda get cold all of a sudden."

"Weird," Applejack agreed, glancing down at Fluttershy, who was sleeping in her lap. Applejack had put her own coat over the pink haired girl in an attempt to keep her warm. Obviously, it had left her vulnerable to the elements herself. To her side, Sherry stood up. "Something wrong, sugarcube?"

"No, I was going to go see why Chrys hasn't come back," She said, frowning. "It's been a while."

"True, and Tyr hasn't returned either," Rarity murmured thoughtfully, as Sherry left for the bathrooms. "Plus Ace and the other knights vanished earlier."

"Something is up," Twilight said. She got up. "Sherry! Wait up!"

She jogged after the pink haired girl, catching up to her a moment later. "What is it, Twilight?" Sherry asked, looking up at the librarian.

"I wanted to ask about the Rubrik."

Sherry frowned, looking down at the cube around her neck. "…What did you want to ask?"

"I heard you were trying to open it. Any luck?" Twilight was hoping that with all the things going on,

"I've tried," Sherry admitted. "Not very hard though. There are grooves along the side and all where it looks like someone would open it, but it never budges."

Twilight looked down at the object in question, seeing the aforementioned slots where one would think to pry the object open. "Hm. Can you do anything else with it?"

"Uh huh. I can order it to…" She trailed off, before laughing and slapping a palm to her forehead. Twilight stared at her in confusion.

"What? What are you laughing about?"

"The one thing I never tried," Sherry told her. She grinned, and held up the Rubrik. "Rubrik: Open."

Like opening a door to a hurricane, the top of the cube flared open, violet light flooding the hall and wind whipping around them. Twilight was blown to the far wall, managing to form a barrier of magic to cushion the impact. At that moment, the voice that had been whispering to Sherry for so long cried out loudly.

"Thank you!"

The light grew brighter, and Twilight was forced to cover her eyes. When it finally receded, both the girl and the cube were gone. Her mouth fell open slightly, her mind unable to process what had just happened. Two words had suddenly stolen the pink haired girl from existence. There wasn't even a mark on the walls or floor to show what had happened. "This… this is unreal…"

"I hadn't expected that," A somewhat amused voice said. Twilight snapped her head to the side, searching for the owner of the voice. Her blood ran cold.

"Nightmare Moon…?" She whispered, horrified. The darker persona of Luna had altered her body through magic, turning the diminutive yet attractive Luna into a tall, slender midnight beauty with hair that cascaded down below her waist. Her serpentine eyes focused on Twilight.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Element of Harmony," Nightmare Moon said, walking down the hall towards the dazed librarian. "I hadn't expected to see you here, but this is quite good for me."

"W-What are you doing back?" Twilight stammered, trying to crawl away on her back. "We destroyed you!"

"All you managed to do was banish me temporarily," Nightmare Moon told her. Her magic aura flared up, grabbing Twilight and lifting her up against the wall. "But I am a part of your precious Princess Luna. I came back to help my lesser half after her heart was brutally torn by giving birth for a man who simply… ran away."

"Tyr would never desert her!" Twilight declared, trying to fight against her magical bonds. To be true, she didn't know where Tyr had gone. The man had said he was going out for food and next thing anyone knew, he had vanished. But she knew the man embodied each of the Elements, and Loyalty was something she understood. Tyr would never abandon Luna. Never. She called her own magic to her aid, but barely had her own aura come to life before Nightmare Moon was in front of her, hand curled around her throat. Her magic died just as quickly as the cry on her lips did.

"Not so fast, Twilight Sparkle," The dark eyes narrowed. The next words from the dark lips were spoken in a hiss. "You hold so much respect for the man, but he willingly consorts with multiple women in their own home. Luna is better off without him, and she realized that just as I took over! And without your dear Elements, you cannot stop me from removing my other half and plunging this world into an unending night."

Twilight tried to struggle, but being caught off guard made that impossible. Nightmare Moon was tightening her grip, fully intent on killing her. Twilight could feel her consciousness slipping each second, the fear that Nightmare Moon's grinning visage would be the last thing she saw.

"Let go of my sister."

Nightmare Moon glanced over to the side, coming face to face with a scowling Shining Armor. "Oh, Shining Armor. I had almost forgotten you were here."

"I said—Let go of my sister." The former Captain of the Guard had his gun pointed at her, if only to reinforce the threat despite knowing it would probably avail him little.

"You think to stop me? Alone? You must be joking." Barely had the words left her lip that she felt the magical buildup behind her. She whirled around to find Cadance standing at the other end of the hall, magical aura whipping around her as her eyes glowed with power. "…Oh."

The furious assault of magic tore down the hallway, slamming into Nightmare Moon with unprecedented force. Shining threw up a hasty barrier to keep the blast from overtaking him. He whistled softly, glad that he kept from making his beloved wife angry. But when the smoke cleared, his mouth fell open.

Nightmare Moon was unharmed.

"No way…!" Cadance murmured, eyes turning back to normal. "I… I put everything I had into that…"

"Then you should have tried harder, or not at all," Nightmare Moon said darkly, her own billowing magic aura coming to life. Her wings flared open, and figures of darkness detached from her, rushing down the hall towards Cadance. Just before they struck, Shining threw up a pink barrier in front of her, blocking the projectiles. The dark princess shot him a disparaging look. "…I forgot you were here."

"Bad move on your part," Shining snapped.

"No, it just shows how much I don't care."

Before the man could react, Nightmare Moon's magic surged down the hallway, blasting him back into a wall and cracking it. He was lucky not to have broken his spine. "Shiny!" Cadance cried, worry for her husband clear on her face.

Nightmare Moon turned to her, a savage grin on her face. "Oh, don't worry. I'll give you some attention as well!"

Magic clashed against magic as the dark princess and Princess of Love began their battle. Cadance did have raw talent, but Nightmare Moon had both experience and power in spades, easily allowing her to push the younger woman back. Cadance's defiant look wouldn't go away, however. She glanced down the hall way to her husband. "Shining! Get Twilight and run!"

"I'm not leaving you Cady!" Shining groaned, struggling to his feet. He had bravado, but that was about it. His barrier spell had barely kept him from going unconscious.

"Not up for discussion!" Cadance snarled, rushing Nightmare Moon and deflecting a blast of magic that tore a hole in the wall. "GO!"

The last word was charged with magic as Cadance tossed Nightmare Moon bodily down the hall. The woman simply flapped her wings to reorient herself and land on her feet. But when she looked up, Shining was already retreating with his unconscious sister in tow. She frowned. "How sneaky of you. But it matters little. I will destroy all of you!"

"You'll never win, Nightmare Moon!" Cadance said, readying her magic again. She had no opportunity to cast a spell before a huge chunk of ice smashed into her, sending her sprawling.

"Oh, foolish little Cadance." Nightmare Moon clicked her tongue condescendingly. She slowly walked down the hallway. "Celestia can't help you. Twilight can't stop me. The Elements of Harmony will in time fall. What do you think you can do?"

Cadance thought for a moment. A familiar spell came to life in her hand. "…Stall."

With a blink of bluish light, the princess of love vanished. Nightmare Moon stared at the spot for a long moment before shaking her head. "Teleportation, hm? You're only delaying the inevitable…"

"Did you hear that?" Rarity asked, pausing just shy of the bathroom. She and Pinkie had come together to find out why everyone going to the bathroom had vanished. They had just made it when the heard the explosion from above them.

"Is it a ghost!?" Pinkie squealed, clinging to Rarity. The fashionista rolled her eyes. Pinkie had been freaking out about ghosts in the bathroom eating people ever since Twilight and Sherry had gone. Applejack had done her best to try and convince her otherwise, but not much had come of it.

"No, it isn't a ghost, Pinkie-winkle," Rarity explained. However, what the noise was worried her. An explosion? In a hospital? Not to mention is tasted of magic… She didn't get much of an opportunity to contemplate it as Cadance suddenly appeared beside them. "Oh my! Princess Cadance!?"

The Princess of Love struggled to rise. Her eyes finally registered on them, and she began to panic. "Rarity…? Pinkie Pie? What are you two doing here?"

"We were looking for Twilight…" Pinkie said, but Cadance had already gotten to her feet and was trying to push them down the hall. She was too late, and a creeping chill overtook the hall.

"Going somewhere?"

A dark blue blast of magic slammed into Cadance, tossing her to the ground like a rag doll. Rarity and Pinkie whirled around to find Nightmare Moon approaching them, cold blue magic wafting off of her. "Nightmare Moon!" Pinkie screamed.

"Oh, more Elements?" Something akin to a smile crossed the dark princess's lips. "Wonderful. This makes my job so much easier."

Rarity was stunned. Nightmare Moon was back? How was this even possible? She of all people remembered the night she and her friends banished the dark version of their princess of the night. To her memory, it was the night the six of them had truly become friends. But the woman before her bore the telltale serpentine eyes of Nightmare Moon, and that magic that rippled off of her in waves even had the same feel to it. There was no mistaking it. However, her body refused to move, even as Nightmare Moon began charging another magic attack.

"RARITY!"

The attack shot out, and a pink blur intercepted it. Rarity watched in horror as Pinkie slid across the floor, a burning mark on her chest where she took the attack meant for her girlfriend. She didn't get up. "P-Pinkie…? Pinkie-winkle?"

"How noble of her," Nightmare Moon sighed, walking over. Rarity twitched slightly as she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. "Sacrificing herself for her love."

Rarity suppressed a sob and turned slightly. "W-why are you doing this?"

"Because love is fickle." Nightmare Moon snapped. "The man my other half gave herself to abandoned her at the last moment. One day, perhaps Pinkie Pie would do the same."

"She would never—"

"She is not the Element of Loyalty, is she?"

The words cut deep, and the denial died on Rarity's lips. She glanced back down at her unconscious girlfriend, doubt beginning to fill in her heart. Would Pinkie stay loyal to her? The girl's emotions were about as fickle as a summer breeze. Could she really—"What am I doing?" Rarity said, chuckling to herself. Nightmare Moon frowned.

"What?"

"You really think Pinkie would betray me like that?" Rarity smiled. "The girl is flighty, that is true. But love conquers all, doesn't it? And my dear Pinkie-winkle values her friends more than anyone I know, save Twilight."

Nightmare Moon scowled. "…I should have known better."

"Yes, you should have," Another voice said.

They all looked over to find Cadance standing up, magic gathered in her hands. "You're more resilient than I gave you credit for, aren't you?" Nightmare Moon said, straightening up.

"Tr—Of course I am!" Cadance straightened up.

"Then I'll make sure to finish the job this time." Before Cadance could react, Nightmare Moon had crossed the distance between them. Her magic sheathed her arm, and then pierced Cadance's chest with ease. Only a gasp escaped the woman's mouth before the dark princess let her go. She stayed standing for only moment longer before crumpling to the ground in a heap. Nightmare Moon grinned slightly. "Goodbye, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I'll apologize to your husband for you."

She teleported away. Rarity crawled over to the fallen princess, fear etched on her face. She gently rolled the woman over to look at the wound. It was burned clear through, magic still wafting off of it. She reached out to touch it, and felt the soft layer of magic covering her. "A protective spell?"

The spell fizzled then, rippling off and revealing its true nature—a disguise. The dying Trixie smiled softly. "Is… Is the princess… alright?"

"T-Trixie?" Rarity blinked. "Why… when did you…?"

A noise caught her attention. She glanced over to find the injured Cadance pulling herself out of a nearby broom closet. The Princess of Love's eyes widened upon seeing Trixie, and she rushed over. "By my aunt's name…! Trixie, what did you…?"

"Trixie knows we need the Princesses," Trixie murmured, coughing. She winced and her body seized up as pain shot through her. "Trixie chose to help out in the only way she knew how—an illusion."

"You saved my life," Cadance said, a single tear escaping from her eyes. "I owe you a lot."

"Will this kill her?" Rarity asked, her knowledge of injuries mediocre at best. Cadance examined the wound in silence, her own ability at healing only a little better. Trixie was still alive for now, as the magic burns had cauterized the wound, preventing blood loss. But whether or not she would survive was beyond her knowledge.

"I… I don't know," She said finally. "We need an actual healer, someone with experience. I can't… I can't do anything with this."

"Then… she'll die."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Cadance said, and began to work.

-x-x-

"Ugh…" Twilight groaned, sitting up. "What happened…?"

"You passed out," Shining told her, a deep frown on his face. Twilight looked up at her older brother in shock.

"S-Shining? What are you…?" She looked around. "Where… where am I?"

The two of them sat in a hospital room, partially hidden by a curtain. Shining was seated beside the bed, dabbing alcohol on a cut on his leg. "We're still in the hospital," Shining said softly, as if he didn't want someone to overhear. "Nightmare Moon has put a barrier over the hospital to keep us all inside."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost an hour. I don't know what's happened to all the others. She's been hunting us."

"We need to find the girls," Twilight said, trying to stand. When her brother didn't move, she glanced over at him. "Shining!"

"She's gotten into the intercom," Shining said quietly. "Said that she's killed Pinkie Pie and Cadance."

"…What?" Twilight felt her blood run cold. Pinkie Pie and Cadance… dead? That couldn't be possible, and she immediately began to deny it. Before she could, Shining covered her mouth. His eyes were glued to where the door was. She followed his gaze, seeing several dark shadows pass by the window. They stayed in silence for several agonizing moments, Twilight inwardly panicking every second. A minute later, the shadows were gone. Shining moved his hand as he let a deep breath out.

"Nightmare Moon has been sending those shadow creatures out hunting us while she waits around," Shining explained. "I've been suppressing both our magical auras so they can't sense us. So keep it down!"

"Aren't you angry about Cadance!?" Twilight hissed back. "We have to stop this!"

"Without the Elements or Princess Celestia, I don't see that happening!" Shining hissed back. "I'm not about to run out and kill myself just to avenge Cady!"

Twilight paused. Shining was trying his hardest to keep her safe, and she was rubbing salt in the wound. "…Sorry."

Shining let out a ragged breath. When he spoke again, the pain in his voice was heavy. "Not your fault, Twily. Not your fault."

"So what _do_ we do?"

"We need to find your friends. Maybe even without the Elements, we can still fight her together."

"That's right! As long as we work together, we can do anything!" Twilight smiled. But almost as fast, her smile shrunk. "…But how do we find them? I can't use my magic, right?"

"I guess we have to take the hard way and look around on foot," Shining said. He sighed.

Twilight suddenly gasped. "Wait! We don't have to!"

"What? Why not?"

"Cell phones!" Twilight pulled out her phone. "I can call one of my friends!"

"Oh that's right!" Shining grinned. "Nightmare Moon wouldn't be checking for that sort of thing."

"I'll call Applejack. She should be with Fluttershy!" Twilight quickly typed in her friend's number, and held her phone up to her ear. "Come on… pick up, AJ… come on…! Yes! Applejack, you there?"

The country girl's voice came through quietly. She was more than likely trying to keep quiet herself. "Twi? That you!? Thank goodness sugarcube, we thought you were gone!"

"I'm okay, Applejack. Who's with you?"

"Shy and RD. Oh, and Ace's little sister, Heart Song."

"What about the CMC?"

"They ran off when all this stuff happened. I hope they're staying out of trouble…"

"Where are you girls?"

"Uh… I reckon we're on the third floor. Twilight, you gotta get yourself up here."

"I'm coming. My brother is with me, and once we're together we'll figure out how to fix this whole thing."

"But Twi… we don't know where Rarity is, and Nightmare Moon's been saying—"

"She's lying, Applejack." Twilight said firmly. She couldn't let that idea take hold in her friend's mind, or she'd lose them.

"…Twilight. I know a lie when I hear one, and unless Nightmare Moon has gotten good enough to fool me, she must believe it herself."

"…We have to have hope if nothing else, Applejack."

"If you say so, partner. Just… hurry up and get up here."

She hung up then. Twilight lowered her phone. "So? Are they okay?" Shining asked.

"It's just Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Heart Song. They're hiding out, and want us to get to them."

"Well, we better get a move on then," Shining said, getting up. But before he could move any further, an explosion from above them made them both freeze. "…The hell?"

Horror crossed Twilight's face. "…That was from the third floor."

"Thought I wouldn't find you?" Nightmare Moon laughed as she looked down at the unconscious Rainbow Dash. The brazen woman had charged her on sight, her usual recklessness getting the better of her. Applejack stood in front of Fluttershy and Heart Song, ready to fight for the two weaker women if she needed to. Nightmare Moon smiled at her. "How noble of you, Applejack. But ultimately futile."

"I'm not gonna budge," Applejack said, a defiant frown on her face.

"Well then. I suppose I'll have to go through you." Nightmare Moon snapped her hand up, and a blast of magical energy slammed into Applejack, knocking her off her feet and into the wall. "Oh my. Seems I over did it."

"Jackie!" Fluttershy moved over to the dazed farm girl, pulling her into a seated position. "Are you alright?"

"Tarnation…" Applejack managed to say, hands going to her forehead.

"Fluttershy," Beat said quietly, wheeling herself to face Nightmare Moon. "Grab some cotton from the dresser behind you and plug yours and Applejack's ears. Tightly."

"…what?"

"Just do it."

Fluttershy didn't argue any further, getting the cotton and doing as she was told with it. She also managed to plug Rainbow's ears as well. Nightmare Moon frowned. "What are you doing?"

Beat smiled, her voice splitting into a chorus of voices that spoke as one. With a slow, methodical motion, she stood up. "I'm going to introduce myself. My name is Heart Song, and I am going to sing you a song."

Before Nightmare Moon could react, Beat's voice rose in a terrifying crescendo, tearing the very paint from the walls and ripping panels from the ceiling. Nightmare Moon screamed in pain and covered her ears, but the very force of Beat's voice threw her out of the room. "What in the name of the moon is that!?"

Beat grinned, red eyes bright. Her voices rose in pitch and intensity with every word she spoke, forcing the dark princess back with every note. With every phrase, another voice joined the deadly chorus. "I am the Bloody Siren, and the Million Voice Maiden! You've walked into the one person who will not hesitate to _scream your ears off_."

"You think I will give up just because you have magic I've never seen before?"

"No. I want you to stay." Beat raised her hands into a flourish, the timbre of her voices rising ever higher. She grinned with wild abandon. "Because this is a concert JUST FOR YOU!"

The laughter from the snow haired girl came out like a peal of thunder rolling across the sky. It shook the walls and tore at the senses, even Fluttershy and Applejack's skin prickling at the sound they could not hear. Nightmare Moon yelled out in both pain and frustration, and teleported away. Beat closed her mouth, the song dying away and her magic receding. She smiled softly and staggered back to her wheelchair. "That was amazing, Beat," Fluttershy said softly, she and Applejack going over to her.

"I don't do that often," Beat said with a sigh.

"I thought you couldn't walk, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. She had recovered from her daze and had retrieved her hat. She glanced at Beat's legs, and gasped when she saw a trickle of blood running down them. "What in tarnation…!?"

"I suffered a lot of… trauma from the waist down," Beat explained quietly. "Fluttershy, do you… do you mind?"

"N-Not at all!" Fluttershy quickly went over to the same cabinet as earlier and got a pair of towels, wetting one in the nearby sink and coming back over. She gently began to wipe the blood from Beat's legs. "I… what happened to you?"

"Courtesy of my late uncle. Thanks to him, I can never be a mother."

"Celestia's name…!"

"Beat…" They all looked over to see Rainbow Dash sitting up, cotton in her hands. "You… you and Ace…"

"It's no big deal, Dash," Beat said. "Ace and I have grown from it. Plus… All I have to do is not walk."

"I… I wish I—

"Please don't," Beat said softly. "Don't say you're sorry, or say you wish you had been there. It's in the past. Please leave it there."

"…I was going to say I wish I'd seen the look on your uncle's face when he realized you guys would fight back."

Beat stared at her. "W-What?"

"Yeah! Nobody should be allowed to do that sort of thing to people!" She huffed. "I woulda fought back if I was in your place."

"I reckon you would, RD," Applejack said with a laugh.

"I just wish more people were just nicer," Fluttershy said, smiling at Beat. The snow haired girl stared at them for a long minute, before a smile of her own crossed her face. The words of her brother came back to her then. They were home, and had people that cared about them. They were only alone if they chose to be.

"We should try and meet up with Twilight," She said. "We'll be a lot better off with friends."

"And then maybe we can end this nightmare of a night," Fluttershy agreed.

-x-

* * *

 **Beat is scary.**

 **As always, read, review, and return for the next chapter. We gotta go make sure Tyr is alright, right?**

 **Right.**

 **Don't forget the Library Accepts All, and every comment and review is read with the excitement of a child getting gifts on Christmas.**

 **Well, maybe not that excited. Cause I know some crazy kids. But seeing new comments always makes me smile! :D**


	38. Chapter 37: All for One

**Greetings again, dear readers. Another Friday, another chapter. Well, I've got no funny stories to tell here, so I'll move on to comments!**

 **0\. King Nothing.0: Glad to hear about the hype, hope this lives up to your expectations. And I used to just listen to random music and came across it. And learning guitar is pretty cool too! Although I'm more of a piano person :P**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I apologies for rustling any jimmies, but I gotta make ya come back, don't I? :D Glad you're loving the story though! Oh, and I wanted to comment on your latest chapter of Dash of Fury, but my computer was being stupid. Really good chapter, and keep up the good work!  
**

 **Chaddmychal: Glad you're enjoying the story and that you keep coming back to it! As long as I have readers, I'll keep posting. :D**

 **Tyricle: Ah, one of the "ghost" readers, hm? Thanks for commenting. And in regards to happiness... "The brightest dawn always comes after the darkest night". Make of that as you will. ;)**

 **And, with no further ado:**

* * *

Chapter 37: All for One

Tyr opened his eyes slowly. The room he was in was barely lit, giving him the impression he was in an abandoned building of some sort. He shook his head slowly, and was rewarded with a voice speaking to him.

"Finally awake, are we?"

He adjusted, finding his hands were bound. He looked up to find a trio of men standing in front of him, two of them carrying assault rifles. The middle man was wearing a suit and had an elegant sword strapped to his hip. This man adjusted his glasses, as if to point out that he was the one who had spoken. Tyr frowned. "And just who the hell are you?"

"The man who ordered you brought here," The man in glasses said. "I'm known as the General around here. Welcome to the Cornfield."

"…You guys are Scarecrows."

"Ah, wonderful! He does have a brain in there. I didn't have to explain it."

"Well, you could explain why the hell I'm here."

"You, my friend, are here because of who you know. Specifically two Princesses you know."

"…Cadance and Twilight?"

The General scowled. Obviously Tyr's attempt at humor hadn't been amusing. "No. Celestia and Luna. One of whom you've been _engaged_ to?"

Tyr frowned back. Apparently he had been under surveillance. Not too surprising—these guys wanted Celestia and Luna captured and/or possibly dead. For such an organization, they had done their homework. Tyr suspected this General fellow was the reason for that. He decided to probe. "So, former military, I take it?"

"What?"

"You. Former military. You're standing at attention."

The General blinked, and then a small smile crossed his face. "Quite the perceptive one. Yes, I am former military. Discharged due to physical injury."

Tyr glanced down, noticed that one of the man's legs was a prosthetic. "…I see."

"So, Tyr was it? We want something from you."

"And what is that?"

"We want your fiancé and her sister. We want to make an example of them."

"…An example?"

"Tyr, you've probably come across plenty of people who wish the Equestrians were gone. But I've realized something after a long bit of thought."

"What is that?"

"That this is an opportunity," The General told him. The man smiled. "Why force them to leave when we can use them?"

Tyr felt a cold chill run through him. "Use… them?"

"We've gotten requests for Equestrian workers that pay in the _millions_ , friend. And we were asked to retrieve either of the princesses for several hundred million. And that is something we don't want to pass up. And we're going to use you for that."

"I'm guessing as bait then." Tyr scowled. "You realize the person coming after me won't be Luna, or Celestia for that matter."

"Oh? And who would come after you?"

"The other Royal Knights. My friends."

"You really have stuck your lot in with them, haven't you?" The General laughed slightly. "Falling in love with an Equestrian, sleeping with her… you know they used to be horses, right? Animals? So what does that make you?"

"I prefer not to call something an animal if it can talk, feel and express it's emotions," Tyr shot back. "They're living people."

"To me, they're merchandise. Merchandise that can be sold to the highest bidder for a massive profit. You should be happy—at least we're not killing them."

"I don't think slavery is better," Tyr said pointedly. The General gave him a look before turning his gaze away.

"…I suppose you would think that way."

"Uh huh."

"Well, regardless of what you think, we will have the princesses before long. Perhaps we'll keep them alive and demean them. A little torture, or something like that. Let them know their place."

"I think their place is above people like you, who want to use others for your own benefit."

The General smirked. "Isn't that just human nature?"

Tyr was silent for a moment. "…Only the worst of us. You make me sick."

"Hmph. Well, try to keep it down. You might be here for a while."

"…And what if no one comes?"

"Oh, they'll come. Especially when we threaten to kill you if they don't."

-x-

"I do not like the look of this place," Grace murmured. She, the other two knights and Chrys knelt on a small grassy hill overlooking an old bus depot. The depot still had a large array of buses abandoned in the lot, and a large warehouse sat in a back corner. The darkness shrouded the whole complex in a spooky way. "…I'm getting the creeps."

"Don't get spooked out on us now," Ace said, adjusting the strap on his gun. They had retrieved their weapons before setting up on the hill, leaving the only one unarmed as Chrys. They had offered her a gun, but the Changeling much preferred to use her hands as claws.

"I'm not getting spooked!" Grace hissed. "I just wish Tyr and his rifle were up here with us."

"Quiet," Flash said, shushing them both. "We need to use what advantages we have here. We don't even have numbers."

"I will handle that," Chrys said, closing her eyes. […Master]

[I was wondering when I'd hear from you] Tyr thought back.

[I apologize for my lateness. Do you remember the sonar spell?]

[Of course. One second] Tyr let his magic gather for a moment before releasing it in a weak wave, outlining his surroundings. [Can you see]

[Yes] Chrys thought back, her eyes glowing. She could see every argent outline of every man in those buildings including… […Master. There is a massive group of figures in that warehouse]

[I noticed. I don't know who they are]

[We will see. We are coming to get you] She turned to her companions. "There are about seven men out in the buses and another thirty in that main building. Two guard the warehouse."

"Almost 10-to-1 odds," Flash murmured.

"Sounds like a party," Ace said with a grin.

Grace sighed. "You're always so eager…"

"This is what I live for, Gracie!"

"Let's get this done," Flash said, pulling his scarf up to cover his mouth. The others were wearing scarves as well, and mimicked his action. There were no more words to be said—only action to take. Flash took to the sky, Ace following a moment after. Chrys slipped down into the bus yard, Grace following behind her slowly. The red head pulled a black skull cap down over her hair, hoping that it wouldn't get her spotted. She was so busy doing so that she almost walked into a sentry.

"Oh," She gasped. The man stared at her for a long moment.

"The hell—" Was all he managed to say, before Chrys appeared behind him, closed one hand over his mouth, and snapped his neck. The Changeling lowered the dead man to the ground quietly, glaring up at Grace.

"…Sorry."

Chrys straightened up. Without saying anything, she reached over to adjust Grace's hat so it was covering more of her hair. "…Apologize later. Move now." The Changeling dashed away into the night.

Grace sighed. "Wise words, huh?" Shaking off her nervousness, she raised her rifle to her shoulder and began the dangerous task of clearing out the bus yard. There were corners everywhere, and she spotted a pair of feet moving past her. Without thinking longer than a moment, she pulled the top of her needle pouch open, her magic taking a single needle and pulling it out. The thin piece of metal slid through the metal of the bus walls like paper, shooting out the other side and killing the man on the other side without a sound. He slumped to the ground with a muffled thud. "Man down," She murmured.

"I got one," Ace's voice came in over her ear piece.

"One down over here," Flash chimed in. "I saw Chrys just take out a pair."

"Got another. We're clear outside."

"Move to breaching positions."

The four moved to the main building, all four meeting up at one of the main doors. Chrys was lightly splattered with blood, as was Ace. Neither of them seemed too put off by that fact. "How are we gonna do this?" Grace asked quietly.

"There'll be too many for us to take quietly," Chrys said.

"Then we do it loud," Ace said, shrugging.

Flash frowned. "…Too risky. We get caught in a crossfire—what then?"

Chrys cleared her throat. "I have an idea."

-x-

"Something the matter?" Tyr said, glancing up at the General. He was speaking in hushed tones to one of his guards. The man spared him one disparaging glance.

"None of your business." The cold tone betrayed him—something indeed was wrong. Tyr decided to push it.

"Hm. You were willing to spill your plan to me earlier, but now you're tight lipped. I'm guessing something has gone wrong."

The General was silent. "…We have intruders."

"Ah, and they caught you off guard?"

"Quiet."

"So I'm bothering you now? I would think the fact that you've bitten off what you can chew would be more bothersome."

The General whirled on him, the other men in the room snapping up their weapons at Tyr. "You realize that I can kill you at any moment, don't you?"

"You might think so," Tyr said slowly. He noticed the sheath he used to hold Fenrir sitting empty against the far wall. He smirked. The action seemed to incense the General.

"What's so funny? Do you realize the situation you're in?"

"I suppose I should ask you a question."

"And what would that be, pray tell?"

"What happens when a wolf howls?"

The man stared at him, confused. "What does that have to do with anything…?"

"THE PACK COMES RUNNING!" An exultant voice cried.

The men in the room turned just as Fenrir burst into the room in her wolf form, a pack of silver furred wolves charging in after her. The room exploded into chaos as magic wolves leapt on the armed guards. They fired their weapons, hitting a few but because of their mystical nature, did no damage. Just as Fenrir managed to free Tyr from his bonds, he spotted the General escaping the chaos. "Damn. He's getting away!"

"We should help the others, Alpha," Fenrir said, reverting to her human form for a moment. The sound of gunfire could be heard from above them. "They are quite outnumbered."

"Point taken. Rally the pack and push forward!"

Fenrir changed into her sword form and Tyr took hold of the weapon. He pushed out of the room into complete chaos. Silver wolves were running rampant through the ranks of Scarecrows, ripping them apart in a wild frenzy. On the other side of the area, Tyr could make out Ace and Flash putting down suppressive fire. His snow haired friend noticed him. "Tyr! You're alright!"

"Never better," Tyr grunted, dodging a knife attack. He spun quickly, Fenrir tearing open the man's throat with a single cut. He dashed forward into the fray, blade coming down into the back of another Scarecrow.

"Blades!" Ace called, and the other three knights charged forward to help their friend, weapons glinting in the afterglow of the gunfire. Ace's trademark grin appeared on his face as he slashed open the chest of a Scarecrow. "Tear them apart!"

Needles sang through the air as Grace added in her contribution, alternating between throwing the deadly implements and firing her gun. Chrys covered her, claws warding off any who dared come close. "They still outnumber us!" Grace called out, ducking behind a crate for cover.

"Tyr!" Flash called. "Take command!"

The human man looked at him in confusion for a moment before nodding his understanding. His magic surged forth, enveloping his friends in his argent aura. The little silver shields appeared over their shoulders, and the whole flow of the battle shifted. Ace and Chrys were in the midst of the Scarecrow forces, distracting and cutting down any that looked their way. Grace covered them, supported by Flash who kept catching anyone trying to flank her. As he moved across he flipped a table that Tyr ducked behind while he moved on to another opponent. Tyr leapt clear of the cover a second later, Grace's magic grasping the table and flinging it into a group of men. Tyr's soldiers appeared to smash through another group of shooters just as they got a bead on the fast moving Ace, who was too busy fighting to notice the danger he was in. But in reality, each of them knew where they all were in relation to one another. Tyr's magic brought them together into one cohesive unit, able to understand and react to each other's moves almost as easily as breathing.

"Master!" Chrys called out, catching Tyr's attention. He turned to see what it was, just barely managing to catch the thing she threw at him. To his surprise, he found himself holding a SCAR-20, an automatic sniper rifle. He looked up to find a happy grin on his Changeling's face. "I thought you might like that."

Tyr dropped into cover behind an overturned crate, his practiced hands quickly getting the rifle loaded and ready. He popped up and set his cheek against the stock. [How kind of you] He thought with a small smile, the weapon bucking in his hands as his first shot of the fight rang out. The unfortunate Scarecrow in his sights died instantly, bullet right through the head.

"Dear Celestia!" Flash muttered, watching the head of another Scarecrow explode from Tyr's aim. "I see what you meant, Grace!"

"Fenrir!" Tyr called out. "Where did the General go?"

He was answered by the sound of a vehicle starting up. "Car moving outside!" Grace cried.

"Chrissy! Roof, now!" Tyr jumped over his makeshift piece of cover, running forward. Chrys met him halfway, a blast of her viridian magic making a hole into the roof. She grabbed him around the waist and took off, flying through the newly make exit. She let him go on solid roof. As he ran to the edge of the building, Grace came climbing up after him.

"He's getting further away!" She pointed out.

"I can see that. Damn, I can't get stable!"

Grace pushed the gun up for a moment, kneeling down in front of him and resting the rifle barrel on her shoulder. When Tyr looked at her in confusion, she snapped, "You can do it now, can't you?"

Tyr felt Grace stiffen up, becoming as immovable as possible. "…Yeah, I can."

Silence fell over them as Tyr settled into his makeshift shooting stance. The sound of fighting below died out, and Flash and Ace came up as well. Neither spoke as Tyr blocked out every sound that wasn't the wind. The car was speeding away, and was rapidly getting out of effective range. It was dark, and he didn't have a scope. If he missed, the General would get away and plan more atrocities against him and his friends. He grinned and pulled the trigger.

Missing wasn't an option.

"Celestia's mane," Flash intoned reverently, watching the car careen off the road. It spun out, slammed into a parked bus, and went up in a huge explosion. "Now _that_ was impressive."

"That's my Alpha for you!" Fenrir crooned, appearing on Tyr's shoulder. "A wonderful hunt today, Alpha!"

"We did cause quite a bit of damage down there," Flash said, glancing down the ladder they had climbed up. Bodies littered the ground below, a testament to their combat prowess.

"I personally would have liked there to be more," Ace said. Chrys nodded in agreement.

Tyr shouldered the auto-sniper and let Grace up. "You alright?" He asked as she rubbed at her shoulder.

"Didn't think it would get that hot," She complained. "It hurt a little bit."

"You're okay," He said, smiling. He turned to his other two friends, his smile growing. "Thanks for coming for me, guys."

"No problem at all," Flash said. "We couldn't just abandon you like that."

"You're our bro, bro!" Ace said with a grin.

Grace smiled softly. "I wouldn't have hesitated for anything," She told him. He pulled her into a side hug.

"Master," Chrys spoke up softly, getting everyone's attention. They all turned to find a frown on the Changeling's face. "Do not forget about the warehouse. We have not seen what all those other figures were."

"Figures?" Grace looked to Tyr.

"I can use my magic like a sonar pulse and mark people I detect," He explained quickly. "I detected a large number of people in that warehouse."

"And none of them came running when the shooting started," Flash pointed out. "Not sure what to make of that."

Tyr frowned. After a long moment of thought, he checked the clip of his appropriated rifle. "…Let's go."

They moved as a unit to the warehouse, finding it completely unguarded. Tyr stayed a short distance away, gun trained on the large doors while the other three Royal Knights pushed up to the door. Once they were all in position, Flash pushed the door in. They all froze in shock at the sight they found. Almost a hundred Equestrian women and children were crowded into the warehouse, all covered in dirty clothing and looking like they hadn't eaten in days. There was a dark silence that hung over them all. One bedraggled girl tentatively came forward, her bright gold hair darkened with dirt and matted to her head. "…Who are you?" She asked quietly, voice hoarse.

"We're…" Flash began, but he trailed off, words dying in his mouth. He recognized every one of the people in this building as those he had been looking for over the past few months. Seeing them now… He had no words. They looked pitiful, malnourished, and frightened. Seeing their normally stoic member off his game, Grace stepped up.

"We are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's Royal Knights," She said, coming forward. At the name of their princesses, the women suddenly perked up. The one who had come forward was quiet for a long minute.

"…Truly? Really?"

"Yes. We've… we've come to rescue you."

Before any of them could react, there was loud crying and cheering. The four knights were mobbed by Equestrians of all sizes and colors. Even Tyr was being thanked and hugged. "How are we going to get them out of here?" Ace asked.

"There are plenty of buses in the lot," Chrys suggested. "We could use a couple of them."

"Good plan. Flash, go see if they're still working."

"On it," Flash said, extricating himself from the happy crowd. He disappeared outside. Tyr found himself surrounded by a group of little girls.

"Hey mister!" One of them, a cute little thing with dark green hair said. "Why don't you have a tail? Did you cut it?"

Tyr chuckled. "No, I'm actually human."

"Really!?" A couple of the older Equestrian woman dashed forward to retrieve the younger girls, fear in their eyes. "I thought you said you were a knight!"

"He is," Grace said defensively, coming over to stand beside Tyr. "He's not like the humans you've met already. Plus, he's engaged to Princess Luna herself!"

"This man just risked his life to save you all," Ace pointed out. "Just because he's human doesn't mean you have to be afraid of him."

"No, I understand," Tyr said, smiling. "I have a daughter of my own. I'd do whatever it took to keep her safe."

The women were quiet. "We… we apologize."

"It's fine."

Flash came back in. "We've got two buses. That should hold them."

"I guess Flash and I will drive them," Ace said. He tossed his car keys to Tyr. "Tyr, you drive my car with Grace and Chrys."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "You're okay with me driving your car?"

His friend grinned. "You drive better than I do."

Grace coughed. "You have no idea."

"Alright people!" Ace called out. "Everyone get to the buses, and we'll get you guys out of here!"

The crowd of Equestrians began to file out of the building, directed by Ace and Flash. Tyr, Chrys and Grace waited inside. Tyr glanced over at his red-haired friend just as she was glancing at her watch. She was frowning. "…Something up, Grace?"

"Um… what time does the sun normally come up?"

"About six or seven, I would think. Why?"

"…Tyr… It's six thirty." She looked up at him, fear in her eyes. "The sun should have been up by now."

"Wait, is that true?" Ace asked, overhearing. "The sun was supposed to come up?"

Tyr suddenly hissed in shock, the mark on his back growing cold like ice. "What the hell!?"

"What is it?" Chrys panicked. "Master, what is wrong?"

"My Mark… it's cold."

"Cold?" Ace frowned. "I thought it burned when Luna was in danger."

"It does. This is a first…"

"…Nightmare Moon," Flash said, horror in his face. "…She's back."

"You don't know that!" Ace snapped.

"It's the only thing! A chilling cold grips Tyr's mark, the sun hasn't risen… Oh by the sun—it has to be her!"

"We need to get back before she kills everyone then," Ace said quietly, checking the clip in his P90.

"Luna wouldn't do that," Tyr said adamantly.

"I believe you, bro. But Nightmare Moon isn't Luna. And if her personality has overtaken Luna's…"

"She might be gone forever," Grace finished, swallowing heavily.

Tyr was silent. Losing his soon-to-be wife? That was out of the question. But the fear in his friend's eyes showed him just how serious this was. Nightmare Moon had been a serious threat from where they were from, and although he didn't know what she was capable of he wasn't going to give up on Luna. "…I'm not going to let that happen. By no means am I going to lose Luna. Not now, not ever."

Flash stared at the man for a long minute. He briefly thought back to the conversation he and Twilight had had with Celestia. An immortal being paired with a mortal one… made him wonder about him and Twilight. As an Alicorn, her lifespan was significantly longer than his now. Despite that, he planned to stick with her as long as he could. "…Then we should hurry. Waiting too long will reduce your chances of bringing her back."

Ace sighed. "Well, as much as I don't think this will work, I'm with you man."

Grace shrugged. "She's my princess too."

Tyr nodded. "Alright. Let's get back home. We've got a Princess to save."

* * *

 **Hopefully you weren't expecting a (complete) resolution just yet. I gotta tease you a little more, don't I?**

 **As always, read, review, and return for the next chapter, where Tyr gets to finally meet the other half of his beloved princess. And I believe Nightmare Moon is looking forward to meeting our silver-eyed knight as well.**

 **Don't be afraid to post a comment, for the Library accepts all!**

 **Slan! (There's supposed to be an accent over the 'a'. It's Irish. Meh. I tried.)**


	39. Chapter 38: Lunar Eclipse

**Welcome back, dear readers! I actually cracked over 60 reviews this time around, so I'm double posting this week. Even I can't help but want to let the climax finally resolve. Plus, I actually finished both chapters. :P**

 **But! On to those reviews I got this time around.**

 **0\. King Nothing.0: Piano is indeed friendlier than guitar. And I've played a bit of both before going to a different set of keys. :P**

 **Flammablefiredragon: For every standard my readers desire, I set my own just a little higher. Just so I can keep satisfying my readers. Hopefully these chapters meet your expectations as well. And I'm always looking forward to more of your stories! Keep on writing, friend!**

 **Yannik: Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long. :D**

 **Chaddmychal: Thanks for all the support! Glad you're still enjoying it!**

 **Kevin Lapse: Tyr's name is pronounced "Teer". I got a lot of "tire" when i had people editing it. But I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope you enjoy the next chapters!**

 **And with that, I'm done. Enjoy the chapter(s)!**

* * *

Chapter 38: Lunar Eclipse

"By the sun," Flash murmured, looking out the bus's front window. The sky had a deathly pallor, as if the sky itself was fighting against what was being done to it. He pulled up behind the bus being driven by Ace and parked. "Everyone, stay here."

He opened the bus doors and got out, seeing that his friends were doing the same thing. Ace, Tyr, Grace and Chrys were already out of their vehicles and looking up at the sky. "This certainly doesn't look good," Ace pointed out once Flash had gotten over to them.

"Wonderful observation," Chrys said dryly. Ace shot her a look but didn't respond.

"What are we supposed to do?" Grace asked. "This sort of thing is well outside of our ability to manage."

"You say that now," Ace said. "But you realize we have to deal with this."

"Ugh, of course I know that. But what do we do?"

"We leave these women here for now," Tyr said. He glanced over at the buses. "There's no point in taking them into harm's way."

"And then we deal with Nightmare Moon," Flash said.

"We don't go for lethal force unless it's absolutely necessary," Tyr said sharply. "This is Luna we're talking about—we can't kill her."

"Tyr. We might need to…"

"I owe it to Luna to try," Tyr countered. "I'm not going to just give up on her."

"We may not be able to do anything else!" Ace protested.

"Do you want to be the one who tells Celestia that we had to kill her little sister?"

"But what if it's not Luna anymore?" Ace asked harshly, eyes narrowing. "What if Luna is gone and only Nightmare Moon is left?"

"Then I'll finish it myself." The finality in Tyr's voice made them all pause. The man was determined to either save his beloved—or damn her.

"…Well, you won't be alone," Grace said. She gave Tyr a smile. "I'll do what I can to help."

"We're in this together, for good or for ill," Flash said. "Let's go."

There were no more words left to say, and the five of them headed towards the hospital. It was covered in a field of dark blue magic that enclosed the entire grounds. As they walked, they saw humans and Equestrians alike along the streets, asleep. "What in the world…?" Grace murmured.

"Luna has power over dreams, does she not?" Chrys reasoned. "So Nightmare Moon is using that power to sleep those she is not planning to kill."

"You seem to have quite the idea of her plans," Ace pointed out.

"I'm simply saying it from the position of what I would do in her place." Chrys frowned. "She will more than likely go after those directly responsible for her banishment."

"That means Twilight and the girls," Flash said, shock on his face. "We need to get to them—"

They didn't have to go far. The front doors of the hospital burst open as Applejack, Twilight, and Fluttershy were thrown out by a surge of magic. A cold chill rolled out after them, and the four knights and Chrys readied themselves. The very ground began to frost over before them. "It's her," Grace said quietly.

"Ah, the knights return!" Nightmare Moon came out of the hospital, trailed by a veritable horde of shadow formed creatures. She smiled, looking down at the fallen Elements of Harmony. "Unfortunately, you've come too late. I'm just finishing up here."

"Twilight…" Flash murmured. The librarian lifted her head slightly at the sound of his voice, a sort of relief crossing her face.

"Flash… you guys came back…" She said weakly. She tried to smile as well, but a wave of pain overtook her and she failed.

"What have you done, Moony…?" Tyr asked in shock. The girls looked as if they had suffered a brutal beating, with Applejack barely conscious and Fluttershy whimpering softly. "These are our friends!"

"They were the friends of my weaker half," Nightmare Moon replied, stepping forward. She stopped a few steps away from Tyr, a small smile on her face. She was now only a couple inches shorter than him. He stared down at her, for a moment losing his indignation. Nightmare Moon had turned his fiancé into a stunning woman, slender and curvaceous as any perfect dream. But his shock wasn't going to go away that easily.

"They were _your_ friends as well!"

The smile vanished. "I have no need of weak people proclaiming to be my _friends_. But… I have need of strength." She moved closer to him. One hand lifted slowly to caress his face. "Luna may have believed you betrayed her, but I see that I can forgive you. Join me, Tyr. I have need of a King to rule by my side."

"Don't listen to her, Tyr!" The rough voice of Rainbow Dash called from the shattered doorway. The athletic girl was just as badly beat up as her friends, and only the frame of the door seemed to be keeping her standing. "She's evil, and you can't trust her!"

"No need to listen to her, beloved," Nightmare Moon crooned, her voice slow and bewitching. It almost sounded exactly the way Luna would have said it. "All we need is each other, right? We do not need them."

"Tyr…" Flash said warningly.

Tyr was silent for a long time. In front of him was his fiancé, or at least a woman who called herself his fiancé. Nightmare Moon had Luna's voice, her scent, and her hair. Her body was a little taller and fuller, but there wasn't much to complain about there. What she was asking… she wanted him to betray his friends. To fight against them—for her. If it had really been Luna asking, he wouldn't have thought so hard about it. But for Nightmare Moon…

Could he trust her?

He didn't know anything about Nightmare Moon except that she had been evil, and tried to bring eternal night. Whenever she was the topic of discussion, she was spoken of with fear or loathing. But the woman in front of him was Luna. There wasn't anything in his mind that told him otherwise. Sure, the personality was vastly different, but his heart still saw it as his princess. But he wasn't one to turn his back on his friends. He was being asked to kill people he had grown close to, to break ties that were more important to him than his own life. It wasn't as hard a decision as he thought.

"…No," He said softly. Nightmare Moon frowned.

"What was that?"

"I said no," Tyr said, pushing her a short distance away. "I won't kill my friends."

"So you're going to fight against me?"

"Not if I can help it. I want to save you, Moony, not—"

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Nightmare Moon's voice boomed, cutting off Tyr's small plea. She composed herself, shivering slightly with the remnants of her anger. "…You have no right to call me that, _traitor_."

Tyr blinked. "I didn't betray you!"

"You abandoned me."

"Abandoned…!?"

Chrys scowled. "My Master was kidnapped because of you. He fought to get back to you!"

Nightmare Moon went back over to her horde of shadow creatures. "It does not matter to me now. You made that promise to Luna, not me. I hold no attachment to him."

Tyr gripped the handle of Fenrir tightly. "…I'm going to save you, Luna. Whether you like it or not."

"You will save NO ONE!" Nightmare Moon cackled. "KILL THEM!"

"Grace!" Flash called, "Get the girls out of there!"

"Got it!" Grace replied, quickly wrapping the three girls in front of her in her magic and pulling them out of the way. Just as she got them safe, she managed to spot Flash and Ace charging into the fray. "Gotta support them," She told herself, magic coalescing around her arms. With simple wave of her hand, she placed a protective barrier around Ace. It was just in time to block a blow from a shadow creature. The snow haired man blinked in surprise as the barrier reflected the blow. With a quick glance at Grace to thank her with a nod, he jumped back into the battle.

"You don't have to do this, Moony!" Tyr yelled over the sound of combat. Nightmare Moon's eyes bored into him.

"Do not presume to tell me what to do, human!" Her magic lanced towards him, only to be absorbed by the shields of Tyr's construct soldiers. "You passed up an opportunity to rule by my side!"

"What purpose is it for a man to sell his soul but lose the world?" Tyr replied coldly, ordering his soldiers onto the attack. Nightmare Moon gritted her teeth and ordered her own shadow creatures to engage. Soon, the parking lot was full of shadows and rays of moonlight dancing in the pitch black darkness.

In the midst of shielding herself from a sudden torrent of silver arrows, Nightmare Moon spotted Flash jumping towards her with his sword in hand. "You're mine!" He roared.

"Not bloody likely," She sneered, blasting the ground below him and tossing him to the ground. Seeing weakness, the shadow creatures converged on him. "Ta ta for now!"

"Not so fast!" Blue light suddenly enveloped Flash, shielding him before the shadow creatures could tear him apart. Nightmare Moon looked up to find Cadance flying down, her magical aura as strong as ever. A look of pure shock crossed her face.

"I killed you!" She snarled. "I know I did!"

"Trixie took my place," Cadance said, landing beside Flash and blasting the shadow creatures away with a wave of magic. "She bought me time to recover."

"Trixie?" Tyr murmured in surprise. He looked to Nightmare Moon. "You killed _Trixie_!?"

"I didn't know it was her at the time," Nightmare Moon replied with a shrug. "…Oh well."

"She's not dead," Cadance said. "But she's barely hanging on. Pinkie and Rarity are taking care of her."

"Pinkie Pie lived as well?" Nightmare Moon scowled. "It seems I cannot kill anyone today."

"And you won't start now!" Cadance sent her magic blasting forward, and the battle began again. Nightmare Moon focused on the revitalized Princess of Love, while her creatures kept the others at bay.

"As if I'd let a child like you tell me what I can and cannot do!" Nightmare Moon said, knocking Cadance aside easily. She avoided a clumsy sword stroke from Flash and tossed him away as easily. "This is child's play to me!"

As if revitalized by her cry, the shadow creatures began pushing forward ever stronger, overwhelming Tyr's troops with ease. Grace was quickly surrounded, unable to support her friends. It was all Tyr could do to preserve his own island of silver against the black tide.

-x-

"They can't do it, dad," Ana said softly.

Atop a building some several blocks away, the Striate family watched the battle unfold. Ana was seated against the lip of the roof behind a .50 cal anti-materiel rifle propped up on a bipod and aimed at the distance. The inscription 'To whom it may concern' was written along the side in flowing script. Jehu stood nearby, Mercy only an arm's length from him. Passion, Willow and Isabel waited behind. The man of the family sighed. "I had hopes," He offered sadly.

"They haven't given up yet," Mercy pointed out.

"That is true. But if they can't stop her…"

"We have to?" Passion asked. Instead of her usual fervor, there was a solemn feel to the question, like even the normally cheery girl could tell the seriousness of the situation. Even her normal smile was nonexistent.

"More like Ana has to," Isabel pointed out. "She's the one who has to take the shot."

"Not that hard, Izzy," Ana pointed out. She pulled a silver bullet out of her bag and whispered a single phrase to it. " _Find your mark._ "

As the family watched, a name etched itself into the metal of the bullet. Nightmare Moon. "It's a foregone conclusion now," Mercy said softly. "Ana won't miss."

Passion sighed. "I wanted to fight a god like dad did," She complained.

Jehu chuckled. "I didn't fight a god, love. I fought someone who thought they were a god. Plus, Celestia and Luna aren't gods either."

"Still wanted to fight one of them."

"I personally hope she doesn't have to fire," Willow offered. From the silence of the others, it seemed the sentiment was shared. Ana loaded the special round into her rifle, locking it into place.

"Well, if it comes to it," Ana said with a resigned sigh, settling back in to her shooter's stance. It was mechanical—Ana had been doing this for a long time, and if tonight got any worse, she would be doing it again. With a gentle brush of her hand to get her hair out of the way, she set herself behind the scope. Almost instantly, she recoiled as if she had been burned. The rest of her family started in shock.

"Ana!" Jehu blinked several times in surprise as Mercy rushed to her distraught daughter, who was rapidly hyperventilating.

"What's wrong, baby?" Mercy asked softly, taking her daughter's face in her hands. "What happened?"

"He looked at me," Ana said, horrified. "He looked directly at me!"

"No one should be able to see us at this distance!" Passion said, running to the edge of the roof. "Especially not when you're using Amaterasu to shroud us!"

"Who saw you?" Jehu asked. He knew why his daughter was freaking out—her magic normally kept people from seeing her unless she wanted to be seen. Plus, considering all the spells they had cast to keep themselves concealed up here… It was because of what he knew that Ana's response didn't surprise him.

"The silver-eyed man," Ana said, calming down a little. "Tyr. He looked me in the eyes and told me no."

Jehu grinned. Mercy spared her husband a glance. "…You seem quite happy, love."

"Am I?" Jehu asked playfully. "Someone who can see Ana without trying… I think we've found one of the Awakened."

"What? Him? That would explain the eyes…" Mercy looked back over to the battle. Nightmare Moon seemed to be on the way to an easy victory. "But if he doesn't survive this…"

"Tides always turn," Isabel offered. "Chaos is always shifting—ever changing."

"So we're rolling the dice again? Wonderful."

Jehu's grin vanished. He turned his eyes back to the battle. Tyr was rallying his friends as best he could, but they were so few against the Princess of the Night's massive army of shades. His next words were heavy and hinted at a lot of thought behind them. "Ana. Just be ready to shoot anyway. I don't want to find out we're playing with loaded dice too late."

-x-

"We can't keep this up!" Cadance said, blasting apart another row of shadow creatures. They were backed up into a small circle, keeping the injured inside for Grace to tend to them. "They just keep coming!"

"It's the full moon," Flash said, parrying a blow from a shadow swordsman. He reversed his stroke and cut down the creature with ease. But as he did so, another pair attacked him. "Princess Luna's magic always was at its strongest during full moons!"

"Well, looks like we're going to just die here," Ace said with a sigh. "Although going down fighting is how I expected to die anyway."

"Sorry I dragged you all into this," Tyr said softly. He was beginning to feel his limits, and the quality of his soldiers was rapidly decreasing. Instead of enduring several blows from the shadow creatures, most were being shattered in one strike. "I… I probably shouldn't have—"

"Do not apologize, Master," Chrys cut him off before he could speak. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"It's fine," Grace said from behind him. She was in the middle of healing Rainbow's injuries, trying to get her able to fight. "We could have turned away any time. But we didn't. We're in this together."

"We're still able to fight," Twilight said, getting up. Her magic was weak, but there was determination in her eyes. "We can't give up!"

"She's right, sugarcube," Applejack said, smashing a shadow creature with a length of wood she had appropriated. "We all got your back. We ain't giving up just yet!"

"Such a foolish notion." The voice of Nightmare Moon rose up over the din of battle. Suddenly, a wave of magic flowed over them all, knocking them to the ground with earth shaking force. The winged form of the Princess of the Night flew over them, a smirk on her face. She was sure of her victory of this point. "You all value your friends so much, and you are weak because of it. I need no friends in order to win. I. Am. Superior."

Magic gathered in her outstretched hands. "I can't move!" Applejack cried, her body refusing to respond to her. The others were restrained as well.

"A paralyzation spell…!" Twilight said in shock. "I can't dispel it!"

"I wish you all well in the afterlife," Nightmare Moon said. She raised her arms up to cast the spell that would end the fight—permanently. A sphere of flickering cerulean energy formed above her head, like a small dark star.

"Well, it's been cool guys," Ace said. "Hopefully being disintegrated isn't painful."

Flash groaned. "Shut up, Ace."

"Oh, let me get that for you," Nightmare Moon said, lifting the sphere of dark magic. Her grin turned manic. "I'd be delighted!"

"This is just how I imagined my death," Chrys said dryly, clinging to Tyr. "Blasted to bits by either Celestia or Luna."

Nightmare Moon let the tension hold for a moment longer, as though she was enjoying the feeling of victory. But just as she began to let the spell fall, a familiar voice cried out.

"RUBRIK! DEFENSIVE STANCE!"

The spell fell, and a gold-brown figure with a massive tower shield appeared in the way, taking the brunt of the blow and dispersing the spell with ease. It was like a giant stood between them and death. As the dark blue spell fizzled out, Tyr noticed something sitting on the giant's shoulder. Something... pink. The figure hopped off and landed beside him gracefully, a pair of light, chocolate brown wings folding behind her as she did so.

"Hey dad," Sherry said, a small smile on her face. Tyr stared in shock at his daughter. She had grown taller, and her hair had grown out longer. She kept it tied back in a long braid. It was if she had aged a year since he had seen her. Besides the wings, a symbol the same shape as her Cutie Mark now sat on the back of her hand.

"Oh, so that's where the wings went," Ace said sarcastically. Flash and Tyr stared at him with dead expressions.

"What in the name of the moon is this thing!?" Nightmare Moon demanded. Her eyes fell to Sherry. "And you! Why have you stopped me!?"

"Because what kind of daughter would I be if I let you kill my dad?" Sherry turned back to Nightmare Moon. To the shock of everyone, her hands became wreathed in a light pink aura. "On top of that, _mom_ , you've been a jerk to everyone else here!"

"I am not your mother, and I was going to kill them all, if you had not noticed," Nightmare Moon shot back. Her facial expression contorted to a confused state. "And how… why do you have magic?"

"A long story that I will get into at a later date," Sherry said. The giant shield-bearer deformed into thousands of pieces and flew down to the pink haired girl, reforming into a familiar shape—a cube. It pulsed with a bright violet glow. "But suffice it to say—I now know what the cube is."

"Regardless, you're just another obstacle in my way," Nightmare Moon said, gritting her teeth. Her magic gathered once more. "And I will not let you get in the way!"

Sherry smirked. "Rubrik: Assault Stance." The cube shattered into pieces again, covering Sherry's arm up to the elbow. "Bring it on!"

"Oh you little…!" She dashed towards Sherry, magic blistering off her hands. Before she could reach her, a beam of golden magic cut across the space between them. The Princess of the Night recoiled, shock on her face. "What…! Celestia!?"

It wasn't the Princess of the Sun. Instead, a tall white haired girl with bright, golden eyes landed beside Sherry, her own milk white wings spread wide behind her. A pair of doves could be seen on her back through the sheer dress she wore, as well as on the back of her right hand. Her expression turned hard. "No… hurt… friend!" She said, her words halting and rough. It was as if she was unaccustomed to speaking. But her point was easily understood—she would let no harm come to Sherry.

"Look at this, people with Alicorn magic are just dropping from the sky now," Ace said.

"But… how?" Twilight looked dumbfounded. "Princess Celestia made me and Cadance Alicorns, but… how did Sherry become one? Or for that matter, who is _that!?"_ She pointed at the white haired girl.

"This is Esperanza, or as I like to call her—Hope," Sherry said, glancing over her shoulder. "I found her in the Rubrik."

"What… how… why… when…?"

"We'll figure it out later, Egghead," Rainbow Dash muttered. She tested her limbs, finding that she could move again. She jumped up to her feet. "Come on girls! Up and at em! This fight isn't over!"

"RD's right, Twilight," Applejack said, getting back to her feet. "Let's stop Nightmare Moon and then we can worry about all the details."

Twilight looked from her friends to Nightmare Moon, and then sighed. "…Right. Let's go."

"You all should just lay down and DIE!" Nightmare Moon cried, unleashing her magic again. But this time, Hope and Sherry leapt to the defense of their friends, pink and gold shearing through the cerulean wave and dispersing it. Nightmare Moon didn't have much time in order to complain, as Twilight magic joined the fray again, it's violet light turning the battlefield into a corona of colors. However, she was still weak, and Nightmare Moon's magic slowly began to push them back.

"Too… strong!" Hope complained.

Nightmare Moon roared in triumph as her magic overpowered the three Alicorns, blowing them aside with force alone. "You have magic now, Sherry, but you still do not know how to use it!" She said, laughing. She didn't have much time to revel in her victory, as Tyr's construct soldiers rushed towards her. With a wave of her hand, she commanded her Shadow creatures onto the attack once more.

"And we're back here again," Flash murmured, fighting off a giant shadow scorpion. He dodged a jab from its stinger and leapt onto its back, blade coming down into it to disperse it. He leapt away and into a group of shadow men that were easily slain with one slash. "Although this is wonderful training."

"There you go!" Ace said cheerily, dancing through a horde of shadow creatures. "Way to look on the bright side of things!"

"…Shut up Ace." Flash cut through a shadow bear as he made his way to Twilight's side. "Hey, babe? Was wondering if you've got something we can do to stop this."

"I would suggest banishing her again," Twilight said, "But we can't do that."

"Why not? Is it because you don't have the Elements?"

"No, we can still do it—we still have the Rainbow Power. But we can't use it unless we're all here…"

"SURPRISE!"

Suddenly, the colorful battlefield was full of more color, as a giant blast of confetti exploded from the front doors and cleared a cone of free space. Standing behind the smoking party cannon was none other than Rarity, Beat, and Pinkie Pie. The former two looked extremely confused. "How the heck did she do that?" Beat asked, looking to Rarity.

Pinkie jumped up. Her torso was wrapped in a large bandage, but none of the pep in her step had been lost. "A magician—!"

"—Never reveals her secrets," Rarity finished with a chuckle. Pinkie smiled over at the seamstress fondly.

"Can I not go TEN minutes without someone else making an entrance!?" Nightmare Moon demanded.

"I'm a master at dynamic entries!" Pinkie said. "Although I still don't have the whole jump kicking thing down."

"Pinkie! Rarity! Get over here!" Twilight cried.

The two girls ran towards their friend. "Get them!" Nightmare Moon called, but before her shadow creatures could respond, a battalion of silver soldiers cleared a path for them. "What?"

"No hurting our friends, Moony," Tyr said sharply.

"Do not call me that!"

"What do we do, Twilight?" Pinkie asked, bouncing over to where her four friends waited. Rarity came up behind her, the silver soldiers closing ranks behind them. Ace had retrieved Beat, getting the crippled girl to their defensive position safely.

"We need to use the Rainbow Magic," Twilight said. "We can destroy Nightmare Moon again and end all this."

"…Destroy?" Fluttershy murmured softly. "Must we?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice, sugarcube," Applejack pointed out.

Rarity nodded in agreement. "She's too far gone. If we don't do this, she'll surely try to kill us all."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Rainbow Dash said. "Let's do this!"

"Gather round, girls," Twilight said, stepping forward. Her five friends moved to either side of her, all facing Nightmare Moon. Magic began to build up around them, wrapping around them in a sphere shape. As the magic began to build up to a crescendo, Nightmare Moon took notice.

"Wait… what is this power?" She murmured in confusion.

The sphere of light enveloped the six girls completely, the blinding light forcing away the shadow creatures. The four Knights and Chrys gathered together a distance away. "Now this is new," Chrys murmured.

"What's going on?" Tyr asked, looking to the other three Equestrians.

"The Rainbow Power," Flash began, as if reading from a file. "A source of magic never before seen that was granted to the Elements of Harmony from the Tree of Harmony. They used it in place of the Elements to defeat the evil Tirek when he tried to take over the world. From what the Princesses told me, it uses the purity of their hearts in order to destroy evil."

"Destroy evil…?"

"As far as I know. Tirek had no chance."

The light flared out and revealed the six girls once more, only changed. Their hair and tails were fuller and more vibrant, and the wings of those that had them were longer and the tips were bright with color. Even with his developing magical sense, Tyr could feel the raw magic radiating off them in a corona of rainbow light. But his mind snapped back to what Flash had said.

Destroy evil.

The magic the girls were about to use would kill Nightmare Moon, and by extension, Luna. His fiancé, his beloved princess—would die.

"Girls! No!" He cried out, moving towards them. They were already beginning to lift up into the air, their eyes glowing white with power. Any more, and they would unleash the full power of their magic on Nightmare Moon. And then it would be too late.

"No, Tyr, STOP!" Flash leapt in his way, blade coming up. "I will not let your emotions stop this! This is our last chance!"

"I will not let them kill her!" Tyr shot back, flinging Fenrir forward. The sword transformed into a silver wolf, tackling Flash to the ground. Tyr jumped over his friend, making a beeline to the girls. Ace tackled him before he was halfway.

"Sorry bro, but I can't let you!" He snarled, holding him down. He didn't get to hold him for long, as Chrys barreled into him, pushing him off. "Augh! Damn it Chrys!"

"Go, Master!" Chrys said, pinning Ace down.

Tyr got up to his feet and prepared to run, only to catch Grace in the corner of his eye. "…You too, Grace?"

The redhead girl was quiet for a long time. "…Oh, me? I tripped." She sat down on the ground, reaching out to massage her ankle. "Couldn't reach you in time."

"…Thanks Grace." Tyr dashed forward, giving his friend a small smile as he passed her. Despite the lack of obstructions, he was too late. The six girls were already wrapped in a halo of rainbow magic, and were preparing to unleash it on the unsuspecting Nightmare Moon. He slid to a stop. "…No…"

"Dad!" Sherry flew over to her father. "…What's happening?"

"They're going to kill Luna…" He trailed off.

She took hold of his hand. "…I'm… I'm sorry…"

Suddenly, an idea burst into his head. "Wait a second. Sherry, get back!"

"Huh?" Sherry murmured in shock, her dad pushing her away. She stumbled back a few more feet. "Dad, what…?"

Tyr clasped his hands together, calling on every shred of magical energy in his body. It felt like a fire was running through his veins, and lines of argent magic formed on his skin. With a low growl, he forced his imagination to form a solid object behind him. A lattice work of silver magic began constructing behind him and he could hear the gasps of the others behind him as his work was completed.

A Hydra.

The massive, six headed monster roared, catching the attention of the six girls in their magical aura. "Holy crap!" Rainbow cried out.

"What in tarnation is that!?" Applejack exclaimed. Fluttershy, beside her, simply screamed.

"Wait, girls, we have to focus!" Twilight said, but the Hydra rushed towards them, teeth bared. The heads struck down at them, and the six girls managed to escape the attack. With their concentration broken, the Rainbow Power dispersed, and the girls returned to normal.

"What in the world…!?" Rarity murmured, seeing the hydra vanish. "Where did it…"

"Tyr," Twilight whispered in shock, seeing the human man slump to his knees. "…Why…?"

"I can't let you kill her," Tyr said breathlessly. "I just can't."

"You may have just doomed us all," Flash said, pulling himself from under Fenrir. The wolf changed into her human form, shaking silver hair from her face. She turned to Tyr, a serious look on the wolf spirit's face.

"Alpha, are you sure about this?" She asked quietly.

Tyr didn't get a chance to answer, as a wave of cold washed over them all. It was only a prelude to a greater spell, as a powerful wave threw everyone to the ground except for Tyr. They turned to see Nightmare Moon walking towards them, a smile on her pale face. "Beloved," She said simply.

"…Moon," He murmured.

"You realized the error of your ways now," She said, stopping a few steps short of him. She extended a hand. "Join me, my beloved Tyr."

"Tyr, no!" Twilight whispered.

Tyr was silent for a long time. Despite her obvious denial, Nightmare Moon was Luna in his eyes. The playful way she fought, the simple frustration at being caught off guard—they were all traits that Luna showed whenever she was playing a game. The anger she carried, seemed like it would be the way Luna handled it, almost like a teenager throwing a tantrum. On top of all of that, she never tried to kill him. Despite Nightmare Moon claiming to be a different person, all Tyr could see was Luna. A connection was made in the span of a few minutes—Nightmare Moon was simply everything Luna was not.

And he wasn't going to let that part die.

He got up slowly, feeling in his legs taking a few seconds to come back. He could see soft silver lines running along his limbs, residue of his previous exertion. He slowly limped over to where Nightmare Moon stood, beckoning him. The look on her face was ecstatic. "Tyr!" Ace called, still pinned under Chrys. "Don't do this man!"

"You're our friend, Tyr!" Rarity pleaded. "Don't do this to us!"

"You can't trust her!" Rainbow growled.

Flash's voice was cold. "If you do this, you're a traitor."

Tyr didn't respond, making his slow trek over to the dark princess. Her magic reached out to him as if to welcome him, wrapping around him as if she was putting a blanket about his shoulders. She didn't rush him, or call out again. She truly believed he was switching sides. "Tyr!" He heard Fluttershy's soft, horrified whisper as he finally took the final step to her side.

"I can't let you destroy Nightmare Moon," He said softly, not meeting their eyes.

"She's evil!" Pinkie cried out.

"She's not," Tyr pointed out. "She's only misunderstood."

"I can't believe this," Flash growled.

Nightmare Moon turned to Tyr. "Thank you, beloved. For finally coming to your senses."

Tyr reached out and took hold of her hand. "Of course… Moony."

She stared at him in shock, mouth opening to refute the nickname, before closing it sharply. She glanced down at Tyr's hand. A magical seal had formed around them, a trio of silver magical rings holding them together. She tested it, only to find herself unable to release the man's hand. "What is this?"

"Just to make sure you don't let go," Tyr said. There was a determination in his eyes that had swiftly replaced the defeated look he had had before.

"You… you would betray me?"

"I never switched sides."

"RELEASE ME!" She roared, magic whipping at the man with force akin to a hurricane. Tyr's magic surged up in response, trying to protect him from the onslaught. Despite that, Nightmare Moon's magic tore at him, slashes and rips appearing on his skin and clothing. Despite the obvious pain he was enduring, Tyr had a smile on his face. If he lived through this, he'd have one hell of a story to tell.

"Till death do us part," He growled back. The bands around their hands drew closer, pulling tight to their skin. "Chrissy!"

"Shield me with everything you have," Chrys said, leaping off of Ace.

Rarity blinked. "What? What do you…?"

"Magic! Use it!"

"Come on, everyone!" Sherry said, her magic coming to life. "We have to help my parents!"

"As much as I'm not following this…" Cadance murmured, adding her own magic. All the former unicorns and Alicorns—plus the new ones—contributed to a rainbow colored shield to cover the Changeling.

"Go, Chrys!" Sherry said. The Changeling shot forward using her wings to propel her. She sliced into the torrent of magic, the shield holding for only a few seconds before shattering like glass. But it held long enough. She managed to grasp Tyr's other hand. The three of them stood in the vortex in a small triangle, facing one another.

"Ready Master?" She asked.

"Do it!" Tyr cried. Chrys's magic joined the hurricane, viridian green linking the three of them. Long tendrils of her magic stuck to their foreheads, preparing to connect their minds together.

Sensing what they were about to do, Nightmare Moon screamed in fear. "NO!"

There was a blink of silver, green, and blue light and they all collapsed on the spot.


	40. Chapter 39: Moonlight

Chapter 39: Moonlight

"Ugh… My head…" Nightmare Moon sat up, rubbing at her forehead. What on earth had the human and Changeling done to her? She had never seen such a spell ever cast. Despite all she had done, the two of them had managed to complete whatever it was, with the help of all their so called _friends_. The word made her scowl. She had no need for friends. She was powerful on her own—what need had she of someone else?

She looked around at her surroundings. She sat on a simple bed on a grassy hill, overlooking massive violet flowers that hung low against the backdrop of a gentle night. It was a familiar sight. "Familiar, right?"

She turned her head sharply to the voice. Her eyes narrowed sharply. "…What are you doing here?"

Luna approached her, clad in a light, cerulean dress that flowed behind her like a soft river. The shorter Princess of the Night smiled softly as she approached her other half. "This is our Dreamscape. Of course I'm here."

"But I destroyed you."

Luna turned slightly. "…Care to walk with me?"

Nightmare Moon stared at her for a long time, inwardly debating her options. She sighed. "…I suppose I have no choice."

She got up from the bed, finding herself in a long dress of the purest midnight black. She looked over at Luna, the obvious question not needing to be spoken. The shorter woman shrugged. "You appear as you want to."

They walked then, taking a stone path away from the flowers. There was silence between them as the scenery changed from a nightscape to an open field under a starry sky. Nightmare Moon scowled. "Will you not answer my question?"

"Why were you able to come back?"

The tall woman's scowl deepened. "Are you deflecting my question?"

"No. If you answer mine, you'll figure it out."

"…I cannot be truly destroyed. I am half of you—therefore, as long as you exist—"

"You exist," Luna finished. "And vice versa."

"So I cannot kill you. I am still the stronger half."

"For now. But from my perspective, I am the stronger half."

"And how is that? You surrendered control to your body the moment you thought Tyr abandoned you!"

Luna bit her lip. "…That is true."

"And how are you stronger than me?"

"…Look." She turned and gestured to the ground nearby. Nightmare Moon looked and found Tyr there, asleep. Curled up against his side was Chrys.

"He is here?" Nightmare Moon scowled. "Of course, even in his dreams he is with another woman."

"You know Chrysalis is different," Luna admonished. Nightmare simply scoffed. "...That isn't what I wanted to bring up."

"Then what? Speak now. I have little patience for this."

"He is the reason I am stronger," Luna said shortly.

Nightmare Moon looked at her in surprise. "How? Your dependence on this man has lost you control!"

"Because I placed my trust in him," Luna said, looking down at the sleeping Tyr. A loving smile crossed her face. "I only succumbed to you because my own will was weak. I did not trust myself when he was gone. I thought less of myself, when in truth I only had to wait for him to come to me. And come to me he did."

"And what does that matter now?" Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes. "Planning to take control from me again?"

"Not particularly. But I trust this man with my life."

"And that matters to me?"

"He fought to save both of us," Luna pointed out. "He defied all of our friends—"

" _Your_ friends."

"… _Our_ friends in order to save us both. He was willing to sacrifice everything to save us. He was willing to suffer so much pain… for us."

"He is a fool then."

"He is, isn't he?" Luna agreed fondly. "But we love him."

"I do not love him," Nightmare Moon snapped. Luna simply smiled at her belligerent half and shook her head.

"You do. You didn't attempt to kill him at all in that battle."

"I…!" She trailed off. Truth be told, she had attempted to not harm the human during the battle, focusing instead on the Equestrians. But she was only eliminating the real threat, correct? Tyr posed no actual threat to her, plus he himself was not trying to kill her… She shook her head. "He wasn't a threat."

"Truly? That Hydra was quite impressive. If he had been at full strength, perhaps it would have been more… worrisome."

"So he has potential. I wanted to exploit it."

Luna looked down at the sleeping Tyr again. "He has so much potential, doesn't he? And he chose us to love."

"He chose you." Nightmare Moon looked away. "He does not love me."

"And that is where you are wrong. We are one and the same, Nightmare Moon. I am you, and you are me. We cannot exist without one another, and it is foolishness to try."

"So what are you saying?"

"I have learned something from Tyr. I have to learn to love myself. All of myself." Luna fixed her darker half with her eyes. The two pairs of cerulean blue did not blink. "I tried to cut you out of my heart a long time ago, Nightmare Moon, and that was where I was in error. I never accepted you as me. You were my rage, my anger, my hatred… my jealousy. And I refused you."

"And you made me stronger!" Nightmare Moon laughed. "I became what you could not—powerful!"

"And I experienced what you did not," Luna countered. "Love. Togetherness. Sisterhood." She touched her stomach lightly. "…Motherhood."

There was a bit of hesitation in the reply. "I-I do not need any of those!"

"Then why are you crying?"

Nightmare Moon blinked. With slow movements, she reached up to touch at her cheeks. She was shocked to find they were wet. "…I…I am crying. Why am I crying?"

"Because you feel the loss," Luna told her, her own eyes tearing up. "You feel what you are missing, just as I do."

"I…! I don't need it!" She protested, wiping furiously at her eyes. "I don't need compassion, or anything like that!"

"Yes, we do." Luna took hold of Nightmare Moon's hands. She was relieved when she didn't pull away. "We need to be one. To share what we are, to be one person again. Not 'Princess Luna' or 'Nightmare Moon'. Just… Moony."

"…I hate that nickname."

"It is silly, isn't it?" Luna giggled softly. "Perhaps we should ask him to change it then? Perhaps simply Moon would suit us better?"

Nightmare Moon frowned. "Are you mocking me?"

"No, of course not. I thought… we might like it better."

"…I do." Nightmare Moon pulled away then, hugging herself tightly as she turned away. "…I hate you."

Luna didn't look surprised or disappointed. She simply stepped forward and wrapped the other woman in her arms. "…I love you."

"I hate you."

"I love you."

"I hate you."

"I love you."

"I hate him."

"I love him."

"I hate them."

"I love them."

"I don't want to be us."

"I want to be us."

Nightmare Moon buried her face in her arms and wept. "I hate us."

Luna pressed her own teary face into Nightmare Moon's shoulder. "I love us."

"I want to be loved," The dark Princess admitted.

"I want to hate," the Princess of the Night declared. Their voices mixed as one as they whispered one last plea to the still field.

Princess Luna spoke. "I don't want to be alone." Nightmare Moon said.

A soft voice replied, and a strong pair of arms wrapped around them.

"You're not alone, love," Tyr told her, pulling both of them into his embrace. "Not anymore."

They were enveloped in a soft light, and the only thing Tyr felt was a pair of lips kissing either cheek. He felt his sleeping consciousness fade away as he fell back to his resting spot on the grass. There was a soft giggle behind him. "He is quite the impressive man, isn't he?"

"I suppose so. I will need to learn more about him, won't I?"

"We will have plenty of time. And we also have to learn about ourselves again, won't we?"

"That is something I will be looking forward to."

"What happens now?"

"Well… I suppose we wake up."

"…I'm scared."

"Don't worry. We have each other now. And… him."

"Our Prince."

"Our Beloved."

Together, the voices spoke one last time as the dream unraveled and began to fade away. It was loving and hateful, compassionate and cynical all at the same time, but the affection was clear. "I love you, Tyr."

-x-

Luna opened her eyes slowly, confused as she found herself looking at a familiar hospital ceiling. It was the hospital she had just recently been in, although for the majority of her time she had been simply looking through her own eyes as someone else drove. But now, there was silence. No voice in her mind claiming to know what was a better course of action for her. The Princess of Dreams was alone in her own mind. Her mind was at peace for once, although she felt stronger emotions swirling around in her. Anger. Jealousy. Selfishness. Things she had repressed and never felt this strongly. But there was also the feeling of wholeness she now had. She was herself again, not two minds fighting for control.

It was comforting.

She rolled over to one side and found herself face to face with Nightmare Moon. Or, not Nightmare Moon. She flung away her blanket and sat up. The mirror on the wall was reflecting the image of a very beautiful woman, one with opaque almost night black hair streaked with midnight sky blue that ran almost to her knees. Her body was slender and lithe, with gentle curves travelling from her shoulders to her hips to her legs. She was pleasantly surprised to discover her bust size had increased, if only a small bit. Her body, on the whole, was now a cross between her shorter form and the tall beauty that Nightmare Moon had created. She smiled softly. No, this body was no combination. It was simply her. She tested her magic then, letting it ripple and flow from her core to her fingertips. There was no blockage, no limit now, and she had full control over her magic, which was now a much darker hue than before. But what mattered is that it was hers, all hers. Her smile grew.

"Good morning, Moony."

She turned quickly, hair whipping about to cover one eye. She found Tyr looking up at her from a leaning position on her bed, a small smile on his face. He was covered in scars and bandages, but as always, that gentle smile was on his face. Without thinking very hard on it she moved back closer to him, leaned down, and kissed him. They held the kiss for a long minute before breaking apart. She gave him a happy, yet breathless smile. "…Good morning, beloved."

"What was that all about, Moony?"

"I hate that nickname," She said suddenly, before she could catch herself. Tyr stared at her in shock as she covered her mouth in surprise. "Uh… beloved, I did not mean—"

"It's okay," Tyr said, laughing lightly. "You would probably rather I called you Moon, right?"

"I… Yes. Please do."

"Then I will do so."

"And the kiss…" Luna reached up to touch her lips. "I suppose it was long overdue."

"Tell me about it," Tyr growled, jumping up onto the bed. He pulled Luna to him, one hand reaching up to run through her hair. "…Christ your hair feels amazing."

She pressed up closer to him, only an inch of space between their faces. "Anything else feel amazing, my love?"

With a knowing smirk, he wrapped his arms around her, the still smaller woman folding neatly into his embrace. "All of you," He told her, kissing her. He wasn't just saying it—his beloved princess was back in his arms again, and that in and of itself was wonderful. She returned the kiss just as eagerly, arms sliding around his neck. Their mouths opened instantly, letting their tongues free to intertwine. She didn't want this to end and didn't want to let him go. It felt like it had been years since she had last kissed him, and it was a show of affection long overdue. As they proceeded to speak in a language only couples could, they heard the sound of someone softly clearing their throat from the door. Luna held up a hand in that direction, ordering whoever it was to wait one moment. She didn't break the embrace for a minute longer, until whoever their visitor was cleared their throat again. Luna let go of Tyr and turned her head as her newly revitalized anger sprang up.

"Can you not take a hint!?" She snapped.

Celestia took a step into the room. "Oh, I can. I just wanted to know if you two were about to try your hand at having _another_ child."

"Oh!" Luna's anger went away almost instantly, replaced by surprise and embarrassment. "T-Tia! I didn't know it was you sister, I apologize…"

"It's quite alright, Lulu. Although… you both may need to wipe your mouths."

Tyr and Luna glanced at one another, noticing the thin strands of saliva that still trailed between them. They hurried and wiped their mouths with sheepish grins on their faces. "Right…" Tyr said, chuckling.

Celestia entered the room as Tyr and Luna released one another, the couple sitting back on the bed. The Princess of the Sun gave her sister an appreciative look over. "You look much different, Lulu."

"I was just…" Tyr thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Noticing that myself."

"I suppose you had your hands full then." Celestia chuckled softly as Tyr looked away, embarrassed. She turned back to her sister, her smile fading. With one hand, she reached out to touch Luna's face. The moment their skin touched, she smiled warmly. "…You've finally made peace with yourself."

Luna blinked twice. "Tia…?"

"I noticed you were not… all yourself when the Elements of Harmony banished Nightmare Moon and you returned. My sister had come back, but I had not gotten back Luna. And now… I see you have regained all your emotions in their full capacity."

"For good or ill," Luna said with a sigh. "Although the fact my emotions are so… quick to respond bothers me a little."

"It'll pass in time," Tyr assured her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "And I'll be with you the whole way."

"As will I and all your friends," Celestia agreed. She glanced to the door.

"Speaking of friends," Tyr said quietly. "Trixie… is she alright?"

"She was lucky. Cadance's help managed to keep her alive long enough for her to get proper medical help. She'll live but… well she'll need plenty of care for that to happen."

"Well… at least she's alive," Tyr sighed.

Almost on cue, the door burst open and in rushed everyone, from Twilight and the girls to Grace and Chrys. Only Ace and Flash hung back, near the door. "Oh, you're both okay!" Grace said, embracing them both. Chrys came up behind them and did the same.

"You worried me overmuch, Master," She complained, resting her head against his. "…don't do that."

"We're sorry, both of you," Luna said, hugging them back.

"Me too!" Sherry complained, jumping onto the bed. She looked like she was trying to stay strong, but she broke into tears. "I was so scared…!"

Luna pulled free of Chrys and Grace so that she could properly hold Sherry in her arms. "I'm so sorry, little one. I didn't want to scare you. I promise I will do my best to not do it again."

"…Thanks mom." She glanced over at Tyr. "Same goes for you dad!"

Tyr chuckled. "Okay, okay."

"Are you guys better now?" Fluttershy asked softly. "The injuries you got must have been pretty bad…"

"Well, I do feel pretty beat up, but I'll live as usual," Tyr replied, looking over his arms. They were pretty heavily bandaged, and were a bit sore, as was the rest of his body. Getting that close to someone of Luna's magical power had been tantamount to suicide. Surviving that maelstrom was nothing but luck.

"You sure did take a lot of punishment…" Rainbow muttered, not completely sure what else to say. None of her other five friends did either. The room fell into an awkward silence, with everyone just looking at each other. No one wanted to speak for a while, so Luna finally said something.

"Everyone… you do not have to act so reserved around me."

"It's not that, Princess Luna," Twilight said after a moment. "The girls and I… we were fully prepared to use the Rainbow Power to destroy Nightmare Moon. If it wasn't for Tyr… we might have killed you."

"Tyr really was quite valiant then, darling," Rarity added. "He even attacked us so we wouldn't harm you."

"That explains this then," Chrys murmured, lifting up Tyr's necklace. It was still around his neck, but instead of the six charms that used to be there, a single charm now hung. It was a silver shield with a translucent center that glowed bright silver. A band of six colors was striped diagonally along the corner: Blue, White, Pink, Violet, Yellow, and Orange. A dark blue gem sat in the center. Twilight blinked in shock.

"That… I can feel the magic coming off of it!" She moved closer to see. "It's the same as… as the power of the Elements!"

"An Element?" Celestia moved closer. "Yes… I can see it. Or feel it, in this case."

"What does that mean then?" Pinkie asked. "Tyr has an Element now?"

"I guess that would be about right, sugarcube," Applejack said with a low whistle.

"What does it signify then?" Grace asked.

"Valor," Chrys murmured. She looked around the room, meeting the shocked gazes from the others. She shrugged. "At least, that would be my guess."

"The Element of Valor…" Luna smiled at Tyr. "That fits you, beloved."

The man chuckled. "I suppose it does. "

"Tyr even gained an Element…" Twilight sat down hard in a chair. "We really were in the wrong, weren't we?"

"You all were doing what you thought was right," Tyr said, smiling at her. "There's nothing wrong in that. And speaking of doing what we thought was right…"

He got up, extricating himself from Chrys and Grace and walking the short distance to where the other two Knights stood. Shining was with them, having come in late, but he backed off upon meeting Tyr's gaze. Neither Ace or Flash met his gaze. The tension in the room grew thicker almost perceptively. "…Anything either of you want to say?" Tyr asked quietly.

"Nope," Ace said, looking up at him.

"I don't regret a thing," Flash offered. Tyr stared him in the eye for what seemed like eternity. And then suddenly, punched him right in the jaw. The unexpected blow sent Flash reeling to the floor and a collective gasp from the room.

"Holy crap!" Rainbow exclaimed.

Twilight cried out. "Flash!"

"Tyr, what in tarnation—!" Applejack began, but she cut off as Tyr held a hand out to the fallen knight.

"Call me a traitor again and I swear I'll leave broken bones," Tyr said quietly and firmly. There was no humor in his voice, and his tone was deathly calm. His eyes narrowed, glowing a fearsome argent. "I consider you a friend, Flash, but I will not let _anyone_ question my loyalty. Is that clear?"

Flash stared up at him for a moment, massaging his injured jaw. After a bit of internal debate, he took the offered hand. "…Crystal," He replied, letting Tyr help him up. "…Damn man. You hit like Applejack."

"What's that supposed ta mean!?" Applejack snapped.

"I put some magic behind it," Tyr admitted, clasping Flash's hand in renewed comradery.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Celestia that's over and done with…"

"What, I don't get hit?" Ace asked.

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "You want me to hit you?"

He glanced over at Flash who was still rubbing his jaw. "…on second thought, I'd like to eat solid food today. I'm good."

"Good choice," Grace said, giggling.

"So, one last thing," Celestia said. She looked over at Sherry. "Sherry. Your friend from earlier. Where has she gone?"

"She was with us not too long ago…" She trailed off as a familiar grin came walking around the corner into the room.

"Well, hello everyone!" Jehu said, smiling like a Cheshire cat. Hope trailed in his wake. "Oh wow, it's like a party in here!"

"Oh you're right!" Pinkie squealed. "I should have brought hats!"

"I got some," Jehu said, snapping his fingers. A pair of party hats appeared on his and Pinkie's heads. The pink haired woman squealed in delight.

"Score!"

"What in the world…?" Twilight murmured. "How did you do that?"

"I'm magic, darling," Jehu said, his voice taking on an almost spot on male version of Rarity's voice.

"I sound like that?" Rarity asked, looking at her friends. The majority of them nodded.

Celestia frowned at the sudden arrival of the Chaos Mage. "I had not expected you here, Jehu. Why have you come?"

"Oh, whenever big stuff goes down, I tend to be in the vicinity," Jehu said, leading Hope over to a chair. The pale girl sat in it without being told. Another snap of his fingers, and another chair appeared for him. "Now, as I'm sure you're all assuming I know something about all of this…"

"That would be my first guess, seeing as you showed up at the right time," Luna said.

"Well, you'd be wrong this time," Jehu said, sitting. "I'm actually here for some answers of my own."

"You? Looking for answers?" Applejack murmured in surprise. "Y'all seem like the type to have answers already."

"Normally, you would be correct in thinking that." His eyes fell on Sherry. "…You unlocked the cube."

Sherry blinked in surprise. "Um… yes. But what did you want to know?"

"Where did she come from?" Jehu pointed over at Hope. Celestia and Luna nodded.

"A fair question," Celestia said, looking to Sherry. "No other Alicorns besides myself, my sister, Cadance, and Twilight exist. Yet you now have both wings _and_ unicorn magic. And she does as well. Care to explain?"

"Well, it's easier to explain what happened to me than how Hope is, but I'll do my best. The Cube gave me the power of an Alicorn somehow, and I assume it's to do with Chaos Magic. And for Hope… well…"

"Go on, Sherry," Luna said. "Tell us."

"Princess Celestia, did Mr. Jehu tell you about the spell he attempted?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, the spell that ultimately caused the Merge."

"HE caused the Merge?" Rainbow exclaimed. "What the hell!?"

"It was unintentional, and I'm dealing with the guilt every day," Jehu said dryly. His tone of voice caught the rainbow haired girl off guard, and she closed her mouth hastily. Jehu didn't seem to be in the mood for criticism at the moment. He nodded to Sherry. "Go ahead and finish."

"All the parts of ponies that didn't make it… were stored in the Rubrik. They were combined together—earth ponies, unicorns, pegasii—and fused into one being. That fusion created who you see now: De Luz Esperanza, an Alicorn."

"The Light of Hope," Cadance whispered.

"Hope… Nickname," Hope said slowly, picking that moment to speak. "Friend… give. Sherry!"

"Why does she talk like that?" Applebloom asked, suddenly piping up.

Pinkie nodded. "Yeah, she does talk funny!"

"She didn't know how to speak our language at first," Sherry explained, going over to Hope. The pale girl smiled up at her. "I tried to teach her a little bit."

"She's… a created Alicorn?" Celestia murmured softly, as if trying to wrap her head around the concept. "As in… from nothing? That is something I cannot fathom, Sherry."

"Believe me," Jehu said, leaning back in his chair, "If I wasn't so in tune with the wildness that is Chaos, I'd think the same."

"It's true, Princess," Sherry asserted. "The Rubrik took what it could not transport and put it together. Hope was to be its creation if it could not truly transport someone between the planes."

"That truly sounds unbelievable," Rarity pointed out, getting nods from most of her friends.

"But there's not much else that can explain it, is there?"

Applejack shrugged. "She's got a point there, Rare."

"Ooh!" Pinkie giggled. "You rhymed! You rhymed!"

"So what else did you come for, Jehu?" Luna asked. "I cannot believe it was simply for that."

"Ah right. Totally forgot. See, this is why I have Mercy with me all the time, so she can remind me…" He reached into his cloak and dug around for a minute, finally pulling out a clean, black covered book. "Here we go."

Tyr retook his spot beside Luna. "What is that for?"

"That book's blank," Scootaloo said. "What are ya gonna do with a blank book?"

"I won't be doing much," Jehu said. He held the book out to Tyr. "Tyr will."

Ty blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Put your hand on the book."

"…Why?"

"I'm a librarian," Jehu said, smiling. "And my favorite thing to do is record new kinds of magic I see."

"You want to record my magic?"

"The book will do that for me. Anything you learn about your magic will be recorded here."

"What if someone tried to learn about my magic and use it against me?"

"The only people touching this book will be my family," Jehu assured him. "Well, and you. Otherwise, it's going to be sitting in the section reserved for Lost Magic."

"Lost Magic?" Celestia repeated, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean magic that no one else has," Jehu said. "Or magic that has not been seen for a long time. Tyr's Digital Magic is one of those."

"Digital Magic?"

"That's what we're calling it. So, do you mind?"

Tyr thought for a bit. Jehu seemed like he was making a harmless offer. Plus, he had so far only been helpful to him and his friends. He sighed. "Alright," He said after a moment. He reached out and placed his hand on the waiting book. Unbidden, his magic flared to life. "What in the world…?"

"It's normal," Jehu said, watching the argent glow envelop the book. A silver sigil in the shape of a shield imprinted itself on the book. "And… there we go. Thanks Tyr. I owe you one."

"No problem," Tyr replied smoothly, moving his hand. Jehu put the book back into his cloak. Despite the size of the tome, it seemed to simply vanish upon leaving sight. "Anything else?"

"Well, just one thing." He turned to the door. "Mercy, bring them in."

"Bring…?" Tyr began a question but it died on his lips as Mercy entered. The pale beauty was carrying two bundles in her arms—one pink and one blue—and it didn't take a genius to know what they were.

Luna gasped quietly, hands covering her mouth. "Our… our children… are they…?"

"They're perfectly fine," Mercy assured her. She gave Jehu a knowing look. "Someone made sure to put a protective spell around the maternity ward, even though it wasn't really needed."

"Better safe than sorry," The man said, his grin from earlier coming back.

Luna was speechless for a minute, her brain unable to really process her feelings. After a moment of uselessly moving her lips, her vocal cords remembered how to work. "C…C-Can I…?" She held out her hands, hoping that the gesture would get her point across.

"Of course, love. They are your kids, aren't they?" Mercy chuckled softly and moved over to the bed, everyone giving her space to pass. She stopped just shy of the two new parents. "Ready to see them?"

Luna and Tyr nodded together. Mercy smiled and handed the blue bundle to Luna, and the pink one to Tyr. Together, the Princess of Dreams and her Prince looked at their newborns for the first time. Jehu smiled softly as he saw the looks of wonder and affection cross their faces. A look he had had the pleasure of enjoying three times. "They still need names, you know."

"I have one," Luna said, gently reaching up to touch her son's face. She felt her smile grow as the newborn unconsciously reached up to her, silver eyes meeting hers. "…Aleron. Aleron Dusk."

"That sounds beautiful," Fluttershy said.

Rarity looked to Tyr. "Well Tyr? That means you have to name the girl."

"Ooh, ooh! It should rhyme!" Pinkie said.

"It doesn't need to rhyme, Pinkie-winkle…"

"Well, I owe a specific someone a middle name," Tyr said, glancing over at Celestia. The Princess of the Sun looked away, trying to seem as innocent as possible. "So… Aurora Dawn."

Both Celestia and Luna blinked. "Aurora? That's… that's beautiful, beloved." She gave him a warm smile, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder.

"Aurora Dawn and Aleron Dusk…" Celestia repeated the two names almost reverently. "Welcome to this world, my niece and nephew."

"This day is finally turning out for the better," Tyr said. He smiled over at Sherry. "Hey. Sherry, come over here and see your new siblings."

Sherry laughed. "Okay, okay."

"Ah, before we all go swarming the babies," Mercy called out, just as everyone else tried to crowd around. They all looked back over at her. The woman was looking at Tyr and Luna. "There was a gift Jehu and I wanted to give you two."

"Us?" Luna asked, confused.

Jehu grinned. "Just follow me."

-x-

The crowd of people were led into the hospital chapel, a tall ceilinged room with a few rows of pews and a small podium in the front center. A tall man in a black priest's outfit stood behind it. He was quite muscular and tones for a priest, and his short black hair was messy. He wore a pair of solid black shades. He glanced up as they all came in. "Ah, is that you, cousin?"

"With friends," Jehu said. He smiled. "How are you, Semaj?"

"Same old, same old," The man said. "Still getting lost."

"You get lost a lot for a blind man," Mercy pointed out.

"Oh, it never turns out badly, does it?"

Jehu chuckled. "It doesn't, huh? Well, Semaj, there was something I wanted your help with."

Semaj frowned slightly. "Last favor I gave you ended with me on fire. _On fire_ cousin. That's not a pleasant experience, you know."

"I know, I know. But you have to remember, we did warn you about that."

The blind man sighed. "So what did you want?"

"We were wondering if you'd like to marry a Prince and a Princess."

Everyone gasped at that. "He can marry us?" Luna exclaimed.

"That I can," Semaj said with a nod. He grinned. "First time doing a wedding for royalty, to be honest."

"B-but Luna's dress!" Rarity spluttered. "I never finished it!"

"You were making me a dress?" Luna questioned, raising one eyebrow. The fashionista, realizing her unintentional admittance, blushed and covered her mouth.

Pinkie giggled. "Of course she was! Rare-bear was super excited to try making you a dress you'd like!"

"Let me see if I can help," Jehu said, waving his hands. An unfinished wedding style dress appeared in front of him, suspended in the air but an aura of violet. "Hm. A good start."

"That's my dress!" Rarity exclaimed. "How did you—"

"Ah, I know what it needs." Violet magic tore into the dress, mushing it down into a white mass. Jehu directed it onto Luna. The Princess of Dreams protested at first, but almost in an instant it was over and she was left in an elegant white wedding dress. The dress pooled around her ankles, but still allowed easy movement because the train parted like water in front of her legs. It was sleeveless, coming into a triangle shape into a silvered collar at her neck. A moon shaped keyhole sat in the center of her chest, just above the sternum. Even her hair was done up, instead of simply cascading down her back, it was secured away from her face by a small braid. There was a stunned silence at the transformation. Semaj cleared his throat.

"Benefit of the doubt for the blind guy in the room?" He asked.

"She's beautiful," Tyr managed to say.

"Well, that's certainly helpful, I suppose…"

Rarity moved closer to examine the new wedding dress. "It's… It's… immaculate. He took every design, every idea I had and made it happen. This is… impossibly amazing, darling."

"I design dresses sometimes," Jehu said with a chuckle.

"Now we just need a suit for our man of the hour here," Mercy said, smiling. "I'll handle this."

A silver, metallic substance shot from Mercy's hand and enveloped Tyr from the neck down. It conformed to Tyr's body for just a moment before melting away, revealing the man fully clad in a silver three piece suit adorned with his Cutie Mark. "…Impressive," Tyr muttered. "That felt really weird though."

"Sorry. Can't help that."

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Semaj called, beckoning them forward. Leaving the twins with Sherry and Chrys, Luna and Tyr took their places before the podium. "Ah, hold a moment. Do you have rings?"

"Uh…" Tyr and Luna exchanged worried looks.

"Yo!" Vanna came hurrying in then, clad in a silver and gold dress. He stopped short of his best friend and his betrothed. "Jeez. You have no idea how hard it is to run in a dress."

"Vanna?" Tyr frowned. "Where have you been?"

"Ran to get these." He held up a small box. Tyr took the offered container, opening it to find a pair of wedding rings. They were immaculately forged of twisted silver and gold with the hammer emblem of Vulcanis stamped on the inside. His eyes widened in shock, immediately going to his crossdressing friend.

"Vanna… you made these?"

"I know I don't do jewelry that often," Vanna explained, smiling slightly. "And believe me, those were a pain to make. But I wanted to do this for you two."

"These are perfect, Vanna," Luna said. "Thank you so much."

Tyr smiled. "That's my best man for you."

"Best man?" Jehu blinked. "What…?"

Semaj cleared his throat. "Well, now that we have the rings, we'll get this under way. I come from a family that prefers to not drag things on, so I'll make this quick. Do you two love one another?"

"Yes," Tyr said.

"Yes," Luna agreed.

"Are you willing to stay together, till death do you part?"

"Yes!" They both said together.

"So. Present the rings."

Tyr gently took one of the rings. "With this ring, I signify my commitment to you, my Princess." He slipped it onto Luna's waiting finger, finding the fit perfect. He glanced back at Vanna, who simply grinned. He turned back just as Luna pulled the other ring from the box.

"With this ring, I signify my commitment to you, my prince," She smiled as she put the matching ring on his finger, fighting to keep her blush down.

Semaj smiled. "By the power vested in me by the Monastery of the South Wind, I now pronounce you man and wife." He paused for a second. "…You may kiss the bride."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Tyr said, taking his wife in his arms and kissing her. Their gathered friends and family applauded loudly, cheering on the newlyweds. As Tyr and Luna broke their kiss and turned to face the crowd.

"Today has certainly ended on a good note," Luna said. Tyr smiled and gently pulled her close.

"You can say that again, love."

"Hold on a moment!" The applause stopped, all eyes turning to the one who had spoken: Ace.

"Something wrong, Ace Guard?" Celestia asked. It was certainly an unexpected outburst from her loyal knight.

"This guy is certified to marry people?" He asked, pointing at Semaj.

"I hope he's pointing at me," the blind man muttered. "Cause then he'd be right."

"We want to get married too!" He pulled Rainbow Dash to his side.

The athlete blinked rapidly. "Huh? Wait, what!?"

"He's right!" Applejack said. "We wanna get married too!"

"J-Jackie!" Fluttershy protested.

Flash glanced over at Twilight. She caught his look and sighed. "I had a whole lot of stuff planned and everything… but okay." She gave him a small smile that was quickly returned.

"I think Pinkie and I will wait," Rarity said quickly, before Pinkie could blurt anything out. Lucky for her, the pink party girl was too busy making funny faces at the newborns.

Semaj frowned. He seemed to be doing some internal math before he finally spoke. "Hm. I may be wrong on this, but I think polygamy is illegal here."

"They're three separate couples," Jehu told him with a laugh.

"Oh. Oh! I apologize for that. But yes, I can marry you all. Being a monk means I can do that."

"I think this will be the first multi-wedding you do though, cousin," Jehu said.

"True enough. So! Let's get this under way."

As Semaj began the ceremony again, this time with six people standing in front of him, Tyr and Luna sat in one of the pews, Sherry and Chrys handing back over Aleron and Aurora. "This has to be a dream," Luna said, looking down into her daughter's eyes. They were blue like her own, but with flecks of silver scattered about. "I… I just can't believe it. Me. A mother."

"You were a mother before," Tyr pointed out, pulling Sherry into the seat beside him. He kissed his daughter's head affectionately. "Don't think we're forgetting about you, Sweets."

"Thanks dad," Sherry said, hugging him. She looked down at Aleron. "They're so cute…"

"And we will watch over them and help them grow," Chrys said softly. "My Master's progeny deserve that."

Sherry felt a little pang of pain as she looked at her new little brother's searching eyes, remembering her own brother that she had lost so long ago. Tyr noticed and hugged her a bit tighter. "Dad?"

"Remembering doesn't mean you're weak," He told her softly. "It just shows you how much you loved them."

She sniffed, rubbing unwept tears from her eyes. "R-right. You're right."

"Let's look forward to the future, shall we?" Tyr said with a smile. "We've got plenty of time to look back."

* * *

 **I suppose I should address one fact. As I was writing this, I was going off the idea that Nightmare Moon was born from the festering resentment Luna had after Celestia banished her. Instead of just being an upset Luna, it had formed into a conscious personality inside of Luna's subconscious. Now, I do know that some people see it as Nightmare Moon is an entity that came from the the moon.**

 **Oh well, not what matters. What matters is, everything worked out for the best!**

 **...Then why do I feel like I'm forgetting something...?**

 **Anyway, as usual, Read, Review, and Return for the chapters to come. Our story is not done just yet, my friends. Don't hesitate to leave a comment or review, for the Library Accepts all.**

 **Ha det bra sa lenge! (Norwegian is hard.)**


	41. Chapter 40: Testing the Waters

**Greetings again, my dear readers. I am here to answer questions and to post this chapter.**

 **And... well... I'll address comments now.**

 **Chaddmychal: Glad you're enjoying the story so far, and don't worry, even when this story reaches an end, there will be plenty more content coming from me.**

 **PBJFanFiction: Hm, I had totally forgotten about the Cube from Transformers. But the Rubrik is more of a reality warper than that, really. To be simple, the cube itself is raw Entropy, since the original purpose was 'completed' so to speak. All the extra... stuff it collected in order to fulfill that purpose was then put together to form Hope. Sherry 'rescued' Hope from deep inside the Cube, where she was warped with Entropy into becoming an Alicorn. Maybe Chaos saw some potential in our young baker? But truly, if there's anything you don't fully understand, I won't hesitate to try and clarify it for you.**

 **Fern of the Clouds: Well, Aurora is. I literally sat for a long time thinking of whether I would breach that whole "Alicorns are only female" issue that I've seen other fanfics address. I decided to just stick with a gender specific sort of thing, but Aleron was blessed with more of his father's heritage, despite gaining unicorn magic and the growth of an Alicorn. There will be more with that in time. ;)**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I am pleased you are pleased. And I apologize for not clarifying Tyr's name from the beginning. I'm quite happy I managed to accomplish so much in just one chapter, but I somehow did it. Thanks again for sticking with me! :D**

* * *

Chapter 40: Testing the Waters

After the hospital incident, a year passed with almost no crises. Well, nothing as serious as the battle at the hospital. Despite the amount of damage Tyr and the others caused, the hospital was whole and functioning the next day. Jehu had admitted to doing the repairs himself, while Isabel erased the short term memories of everyone not involved in the incident. Only Tyr and the others really remembered what had happened, and they were keeping it to themselves.

The Scarecrows, after the decapitation of their leadership, disbanded in the face of brutal retaliations led by Flash. The shadow war the Knights had been fighting was finally over, and everyone went home to their families, both old and new. With her sister settled into her new family, Celestia was already looking forward to her former student to take the next step. Twilight continued to claim she needed to do more research.

With little happening, Tyr spent the majority of his time keeping up with his friends and—more importantly—watching over his somewhat large family. Hope, due to her attachment to Sherry, had moved in with them, becoming a part of their family. Grace had stayed with them, more so as an extra guardian for the three new additions than anything else. Trixie had survived her injury, with the only complication being it was a little more difficult for her to breathe properly. So now it was just normal days in the Hymir household. Such was the case for today, as Sherry rushed to get ready for school. He didn't realize how late she was until a piece of toast hit him in the back of the head. It continued on its path, guided by the pink aura wrapped around it into Sherry's waiting mouth. "I can't believe I'm still oversleeping!" The newly turned Alicorn complained, trying to eat and get dressed at the same time. She staggered to one side as she tried to put on her shoes, only for a construct soldier to appear and steady her. "Thanks dad."

"Slow down a bit sweetie," Tyr replied with a chuckle. "Besides, didn't Twilight and Tia help you with that teleportation spell?"

"I still can't really get the hang of it like they can," Sherry said with a sigh. She opened her chocolate colored wings. "Just like my wings."

"That all comes in time," Luna said, coming from upstairs. The Princess of Dreams had quickly gotten used to the job of being a mother, always seeming calm like a moonlit night. Still beautiful as ever even after giving birth, Tyr noticed with a happy smile.

"You're such a lecher," Chrys murmured, suddenly dropping onto Tyr's back and hanging over his shoulders.

"She's my wife," Tyr shot back. Chrys simply kissed his cheek and giggled.

"I wish I could just instantly learn," Sherry was still complaining.

Luna went over to her and gently touched her cheek. "Unlike say, Cadance, you were not born a Pegasus."

"Twilight was a unicorn before becoming an Alicorn, right?" Tyr asked. Luna nodded in the affirmative.

"Correct. She struggled much like you did. She still does."

"Maybe I can ask her for help," Sherry said.

"Some time later," Tyr said, glancing at the clock. "Better hurry."

"Oh crap!" Sherry made for the door, only to be stopped by Hope. "H-Hope? What is it?"

Hope shoved a plate of eggs in her face. "Sherry, eat!"

"Hope, I don't have time…"

"Eat!"

"Alright, I'll eat them on the way!" Sherry grabbed the plate and dashed out, wings opening clumsily for her to take flight. Tyr, Hope, and Luna watched her as she zigzagged back and forth as she tried to fly straight. Hope summed up what they were all thinking.

"Sherry bad flier."

"That she is," Chrys agreed, chuckling.

Tyr went over to his wife, gently pulling her into an embrace. "How are you, dear?"

"Feeling quite well this morning, my beloved."

"And the kids?"

"Grace is getting them." As she said that, a happy squeal came from the staircase. The small group at the bottom turned just as a small winged blur crashed into Tyr. "Oh dear."

"Papa!" Little Aurora hugged her father as best she could; still too small to fully get her arms around his much larger frame. Her sky blue hair was tousled and messy, and there was a big smile on her face. Her small dark purple wings fluttered rapidly. From what Tyr had been told from his new sister in law, Alicorn children tended to mature quite quickly, then cap out once they would hit their early adult stage. In the span of one year, his children were probably double or triple that in maturity.

"Someone's eager this morning," Tyr said, patting his daughter's head. Aurora giggled.

Grace came down the steps then, Aleron in her arms. "I'm so sorry Tyr," She said setting the black-haired boy down. Tyr and Luna's son was less energetic than his sister, taking more of his father's calm approach to life along with his silver eyes. He also didn't inherit his mother's wings, instead being born with just magic itself. Although since he didn't have any ability to use it yet, no one knew if it was more of Tyr's kind of magic or Luna's. Grace sighed. "I was trying to brush her hair and she just took off."

"I want Papa to do it!" Aurora complained, pushing herself further into her father's chest.

Tyr chuckled and smiled apologetically at Grace. "Sorry Grace. My little princess has declared her will."

"No hair off my tail," Grace assured him, handing him a brush. Tyr chuckled at the euphemism as he began the task of brushing his daughter's unruly hair.

"Jeez," He said, hitting a snag. "Luna, was your hair ever this tangled?"

"Only when I was younger," Luna admitted, getting a plate of food and beginning to feed Aleron. "With my hair like it is now, it became less of a hassle."

"I can imagine," Grace said, biting into an apple. "Hair that's permanently flowing doesn't get tangled."

"It goes back to what it used to look like when it's wet, however," Luna said. She smirked. "For your own information, Tia's hair is a pretty shade of bright pink when wet."

Tyr finally worked the majority of the kinks out of Aurora's hair. "What has your sister been up to lately?"

"I believe she is still working to ease what tensions remain between Equestrians and Humans," She said thoughtfully. "Things have gotten better since the Scarecrows were destroyed."

"We've had less work to do, for one thing," Grace offered with a chuckle. "I think Ace is getting stir-crazy."

"Sounds about right," Tyr chuckled.

"Shouldn't he be having his hands full with his own family?" Luna asked.

"I would think so. Plus Rainbow is doing that triathlon soon."

Aurora tugged on Tyr's sleeve to get his attention. "Papa, I want pigtails!"

"Alright love. Hold still." Just as he began to do her hair, his cell phone rang. "Aw, darn. Chrys, can you get that?"

"Of course, Master," Chrys said. As she passed him, she sneered at Aurora playfully. "Little beastie."

Aurora made a face back. "Kissy!"

"I have told you that is a horrible nickname," Chrys replied, to the sound of the little girl's giggling. She went over to where Tyr's phone sat and answered it. "Hello?"

She was surprised to hear Rarity's voice on the other end. "Chrys? I thought this was Tyr's phone?"

A slice of apple soared through the air and barely missed her head, caught quickly by the viridian glow of Chrys's magic. She glared at Aleron, who suppressed a laugh. "It is. Did you need Tyr for something?"

"I wanted to speak with him—yes, I'm on the phone with Chrys, Pinkie-winkle—and ask him about something."

"What is it? Perhaps I can relay the message for you."

"I'm sorry Chrys, but it a… private matter. I would prefer to speak with him in person."

"Understandable." She moved the phone away from her mouth and covered the receiver. "What shall I do, Master?"

"Tell her I'll drop by in a bit if it's so important," Tyr said, finishing one half of Aurora's hair. Like usual, the girl was quickly getting impatient and wanting to play.

"He says he'll come by to your home if you'd like," Chrys relayed the message. Rarity's voice was full of relief.

"Oh, wonderful darling! I'll be waiting at home for him then. Thank you!"

"You're welcome." She hung up the phone, going over to Aleron and sticking the piece of apple in his mouth. "Master, she says she will await you at her home."

"Great." Tyr finished with Aurora's hair. "There you go, Ro."

"Thanks daddy!" Aurora hopped out of his lap.

"Ah, no kiss for daddy?"

Aurora giggled and leaned up to plant a small peck on her father's cheek. "There!"

Tyr laughed softly. "Good girl. Now go eat something before you go play."

"Kay~" She went over to the table with her brother and mom.

"Guess I'll run over really quick and see what she wants," Tyr said, getting up. Luna frowned ever so slightly. She hated seeing Tyr leave the house, even though she knew he would come back. It simply brought up memories that were painful. But after the hospital incident, she felt like she had to take the pain in stride. Through it all she had Tyr to help her, always there to listen to her worries and comfort her. And now she had two new worries to deal with. Or three? She glanced over to where Hope was watching Snow fight with a ball of yarn. The kitten had become a full grown cat, and now seemed to spend most of his time simply popping up where he wasn't expected. Hope had become enraptured with watching the cat. Never mind that last thought. Only two new worries.

"Be safe, beloved," Luna said simply, smiling at him. Tyr nodded and headed out. He decided to take his bike, since he hadn't ridden it in a while and he was travelling alone. The feel of riding it after so long was… liberating, one could say. But it was short lived, as the distance from his home to Rarity's was covered in almost no time at all. Carousel Boutique had hardly changed over the past year, although if anything it was more… extravagant. Rarity must have been getting a lot of business after that fashion show. He went up to the door and was about to knock when Sweetie Bell and Spike came rushing out of the door.

"Tyr!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed, almost running into him.

"Hello you two." Tyr frowned. "Wait. Sweetie, shouldn't you be already off to school?"

"SWEETIE BELL!" Rarity's very irritated voice boomed from inside. The two young adults glanced back behind them in a panic.

Sweetie grinned nervously. "We were just going! See ya!"

They dashed away, leaving a very confused Tyr at the door. A moment after they vanished from sight, a quite incensed Rarity came storming to the door. "Oh, those two! I have half a mind to tell Twilight about this!"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. The fashionista was obviously upset, and it was times like these he wasn't sure if she was serious or just overdoing it. "Tell Twilight what?"

She looked over at him, for a moment not registering his comment. Then her eyes widened and she gasped. "T-T-Tyr! What are you doing here!?"

"…You called me, remember? You wanted to talk to me?"

She seemed to remember then and quickly composed herself. "OH! Yes, yes, I remember darling. Come in, please."

Tyr followed his friend into her home, instantly denoting the lack of cake smell in the room. "Pinkie isn't home?"

"She's at work," Rarity said, leading him into her kitchen. She already had a tea kettle boiling, and quickly poured them both a cup. She motioned for him to take a seat, and he did.

"What happened before I got here?"

Rarity frowned slightly. "Did you know Spike used to have a crush on me?"

"I might have heard it in passing, but I don't exactly remember," Tyr replied honestly, sipping at his tea. "Was it a little one or was he serious?"

"He was serious, as far as I could tell. He went out of his way to do things for me, always tried to ask me out… And when I finally told him Pinkie and I were together, he was devastated."

"Aren't you quite a bit older than him anyway?"

"By age, yes. But Spike was a dragon in Equestria, so he would mature quickly."

"So you never took him up on his offer, I'm assuming."

"Exactly. And now…" She looked over at the door. Tyr frowned a bit, but he could see where this was going. He had experienced the same thing, albeit in reverse.

"He's going after Sweetie Bell," He said, almost certain.

Rarity sighed. "I caught them making out in the kitchen this morning."

Tyr coughed hard, his tea almost going down the wrong pipe. "They were _what_?"

"I caught them when I came down after getting dressed," Rarity continued. "I heard Spike come in in the first place, but I thought he was just here to walk her to school. He's been doing that for the past few weeks, and I didn't think much of it."

"So I'm guessing you were pretty surprised."

"Of course I was! How would you feel if you found Sherry kissing some boy?"

A shiver ran up Tyr's spine. "To be honest, I doubt I'd handle it gracefully. But I've been in your position before."

"Really?"

"I have sisters too, remember?" He smiled. "My younger sister, Freya, had a guy she was sweet on. I was, of course, against it."

"Naturally."

"I never trusted the guy, and Freya was always angry at me because of it."

Rarity frowned. "Weren't you the only man in the household?"

"I was indeed. But Freya was always a bit rebellious."

"So what happened?" Rarity noticed Tyr's cup was almost empty, so she called over the tea kettle with her magic and refilled it. He nodded in thanks.

"I ended up breaking the guy's jaw," Tyr said simply.

"Oh my! I would at least hope he deserved it."

"He did. I found out he was cheating on my sister."

"How dare he?" Rarity frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"I dunno. Never asked him… or the two girls he was seeing on the side."

Rarity blinked. "Two…? My goodness!"

"Yeah… Freya apologized to me, but I didn't hold it against her. She's my sister: It's my job to protect her."

"I feel the same way." Rarity looked down at her cup. "…Do you think I'm justified?"

"Do you trust Sweetie Bell?"

"Yes! Of course I do, she's a good girl."

"And Spike?"

"Spike can be a proper gentleman when he needs to be. And I know he's been brought up well by Twilight."

"So there shouldn't be much need to worry," Tyr said with a smile. "Sweetie Bell is a smart girl, and Spike is a good kid. I'm sure they'll be all right."

Rarity sighed. "I know, but I still worry."

Tyr nodded and took another sip of tea. "Such is the life of an older sibling."

"Quite."

They sat in a gentle silence for a bit. Tyr watched Rarity twisting her fingers through a lock of her hair and realized that something was up with his fashionista friend. She hardly ever played with her hair like that. So he finally spoke up after a minute or two. "Hey, Rarity?"

"Yes, darling?" She looked up at him, a small smile crossing her face.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about? You made it a big deal that you wanted to speak to me privately."

Rarity's face fell, and she went back to staring at her cup of tea for a long time. She frowned. "…How has Luna taken to being a mother?"

"Huh? Well… Aurora is a handful now that she's learning to fly, and Aleron takes after me, so I think it's not too crazy. On top of that, we've got Grace, and Chrys to help out."

"And Trixie?"

"Stops by from time to time," Tyr replied. Trixie had moved out about a couple months after the hospital battle, feeling as though she was overstaying her welcome. Her injury had not quite fully healed, but she was still quite sure she could manage on her own. Despite getting her own apartment, she still came by their home quite often. "I've started to think she wants to move in with us again because she's lonely."

"I see."

"Why are you asking?"

"I… I always wondered what it would be like to be a mother." She swirled her cup around a bit. "To care for a little one I gave birth to, to have that motherly instinct… But obviously, that's near impossible at the moment."

"Because you're with Pinkie." Tyr said softly, getting a nod from Rarity.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Pinkie-winkle to death…" She sighed. "But I truly do want to have a child of my own."

"So what did you need me for?" Tyr asked, a little confused. "I'm sure it would only take a little time to find an adoption agency or something."

Rarity was silent. After a moment, she set down her cup and looked at him, her blue eyes fixing him with an intensity he didn't expect. "Tyr. Have you ever heard of a process called artificial insemination?"

Tyr was beginning to put the pieces together, but decided to make sure. "…Yes, I have. You're… considering it?"

"More precisely, I was considering you to be the donor."

"Me?"

Rarity nodded. "I would rather it be from someone I knew and not some complete stranger."

"…Have you talked to Pinkie about this?"

"…Not yet."

"Don't you think you should?"

"I want to, but I'm scared." She blushed. "And last time I was scared to speak to Pinkie, you were there to help me."

Tyr thought back to that fateful day. He shivered, remembering that—almost ironically—Rarity had been asking him for a donation of sorts. "To be honest, Rarity, I'm flattered. Just… You have to clear this with Pinkie first, and I have to talk to Luna."

"Yes, obviously. I just… wanted to know if you would help me."

"You're my friend, Rarity," Tyr told her with a smile. His new shield necklace shifted to a pure white color with a blue band through the center. As the fashionista watched, it mixed with a shade of pink and the blue band grew brighter. "I'm always willing to help."

"Thank you Tyr." She smiled. "To be perfectly frank, I really wanted you to be the father."

"Why?"

"Because having a baby with those silver eyes of yours would be beautiful."

"Rarity?" Pinkie's voice squeaked.

The two of them looked over to find Pinkie standing in the doorway, a confused look on her face. "Pinkie-winkle?" Rarity murmured, surprised.

"I know where this is going," Tyr muttered, magic flaring to life. Pinkie spun and tried to run out the door, only to be blocked by Tyr's soldiers. "Not so fast this time, Pinkie."

"Why, Rarity?" Pinkie was in tears as she spun to face her girlfriend. "I thought you said you loved me?"

"I do, Pinkie! I do!"

"Then why are you getting Tyr to get you pregnant!"

"I…" She blinked. "Pinkie Pie, this isn't what you think!"

"Then what is it?"

Tyr sighed. "Excuse me." He waved his hand in a rough triangular motion, murmuring a short incantation he had learned. Pinkie was enveloped in an argent glow and calmed down almost instantly. Rarity glanced over at Tyr.

"What did you…?"

"A calming spell Luna and I learned from Grace," Tyr said with a shrug. "Helps with the kids."

"I can imagine. Is she alright?"

"That depends. This is Pinkie Pie we're talking about. But I didn't do any damage, if that's what you're worried about."

Rarity went over to her girlfriend. "Pinkie?"

"Why are you asking Tyr to make a baby with you, Rare-bear?" Pinkie asked quietly. "I know we can't have a baby normally but we could adopt…"

"I want to _have_ a baby, Pinkie," Rarity said. "And Tyr said he would be willing to help."

Pinkie looked away, oddly pensive for a long time. "…So you're going to have sex with him?"

"S-sex!? No, Pinkie that's…" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tyr would just be the donor."

"Donor?"

"It's a process called artificial insemination," Rarity explained.

"Art fishy swimming lessons?"

"Artificial insemination," Tyr corrected. "I would only donate my genes, and they would use that to get Rarity pregnant. I wouldn't have sex with her at all."

"Oh." Pinkie seemed to understand what he meant. "But Rarity would still get pregnant and have a baby?"

"Yes."

"…Then I want to do it too."

Both Rarity and Tyr paused in surprise. "W-What?" Rarity managed to say, confused. "Why on earth would you want to get pregnant, Pinkie-winkle?"

"Because then I'd feel like I was still doing something," Pinkie claimed quietly. "Cause if its only you getting pregnant, and Tyr's the father, then what am I supposed to do?"

Tyr and Rarity looked at one another. "This one's up to you two," Tyr said, shrugging. "The only person I've got to clear this with is Luna."

"Pinkie… you know being pregnant is difficult," Rarity began, but Pinkie shook her head.

"I'm not dumb, you know," She said. "I'm the middle child of my family—I remember what it was like when my mom was pregnant with my little sisters. And I want to share that with you, Rarity. And then… you'll have two little ones to take care of."

Rarity smiled. "…Thank you, Pinkie. I'm sure we'll both make great mothers."

"Well, let me get Luna," Tyr said. Rarity and Pinkie frowned at that.

"Get her? Aren't you simply going to call her?"

"Sort of." [Chrys?]

[At once, Master]

Almost immediately, a bright blue flash of light lit the room, and Luna appeared, a curious look on her face. "P-Princess Luna!" Rarity murmured in shock.

"I had Chrys relay everything about when Pinkie got here," Tyr said, his wife coming over to stand beside him. "Moon is pretty up to speed."

"Although I would like to know why you did not want me present for this?" Luna asked, looking over at Rarity.

"I was… unsure of how to broach the subject with you, Princess."

"Luna."

"Huh?" Rarity looked up sharply. She found Luna smiling at her.

"We have endured enough together for you to simply call me Luna, Rarity. In this world I do not hold the same social status as in Equestria."

"I suppose that is true…"

"And as for the matter of my husband providing his seed in order to impregnate not just one, but both of you…"

"Moon…" Tyr began, but Luna placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled.

"I do not see anything wrong with it," She said, nodding. "You are free to do this procedure if you like."

Rarity and Pinkie's faces lit up. "Oh, thank you Prin… er, Luna. Thank you."

"It is no issue. Now, unless you need me for anything else, I have two children to attend to." She leaned over and kissed Tyr on the cheek. "I shall see you at home, beloved."

"Actually…" Tyr caught her hand and looked over at Rarity. "When did you want to do this?"

"Um… well, my cycle begins soon so… sometime this week?"

"That works for me." Tyr smiled. "So did you need me for anything else, Rarity?"

Rarity thought for a moment. "…hm… no. Nothing I can think of."

Tyr got up and pulled Luna to his side. "Alright. Take us home then, Princess."

They teleported out in a bright flare of light. Rarity moved to where they had been, happy they hadn't singed the floor. She sighed in relief. She had customers that would be coming in today, and having a singed floor would not look good.

-x-

"There's Scootaloo," Applebloom said, pointing. She and Sherry were sitting at one of the school lunch tables, waiting on their friends. The violet haired Pegasus came over, completely out of breath. "What's got you so tired?"

"P.E.," Scootaloo said, sitting down with her tray of food. She and her friends had just gotten into middle school, and no longer were at their old school. The kids now went to a mixed middle/high school. They were split up in different classes, but lucky for them they still were able to have lunch together. Spike had begun going to school with them too, but he was in a whole different class. Despite how tired she was, Scootaloo was still energetic. "We were playing soccer!"

"That sounds like fun," Sherry said, giggling. Scootaloo always like playing sports. Sherry glanced around. "Isn't Sweetie in your class?"

"She said she saw Spike and wanted to talk to him," Scootaloo explained, digging into her food. It never ceased to amaze Sherry how much her friend could eat. Probably rubbed off on her from Rainbow.

"She and Spike are dating, right?" Applebloom asked.

"I figure," Scootaloo replied with a shrug.

Sherry frowned. "You're not sure?"

"Not like she's just putting it out there…"

"Scoots has a point," Applebloom said. "She's been spending a lot of time with him, but nothing's been set in stone."

"Oh, darn," Sherry said, rooting through her bag.

"What's up?"

"I forgot my lunch at home. Plus, I hardly ate anything for breakfast."

"You gonna buy school lunch?" Scootaloo asked. Sherry normally made her own lunches for school. Her friend shook her head.

"I don't have any money," She said sadly. An idea occurred to her. "I might be able to call my dad or mom and they could bring it…"

"Sherry! Applebloom! Scootaloo!" The three of them looked up to find Sweetie Bell running towards them, worry on her face. "You gotta come quick!"

"Sweetie Bell?" Scootaloo frowned. "What's going on?"

"Hope's here!"

Sherry felt a chill run through her. Hope? Here? The snow white girl was barely able to make normal sentences, not to mention her horrible social skills. "By the Night," She muttered, jumping up. Applebloom and Scootaloo got up as well, and the three of them followed Sweetie Bell out into the hallway. Near one of the sets of doors that led outside, a quartet of high school boys had pinned the unwary Hope against a set of lockers. She looked extremely terrified, never having to deal with men except for Tyr and his friends. "Excuse me!"

The boys glanced over at them. "Hey guys look, middle schoolers." One of them, a red head said.

"What do you little girls want?" One of the others said. Sherry stepped forward, a little uneasy about addressing people older than her.

"Um… can you leave her alone?"

The boys chuckled. "Most of the time, it's the older sister telling people to back off of the younger sister."

"Hope is…" Sherry tried to pick her words carefully. "She has terrible social skills."

One of the other boys looked over Hope. "Hm… I'm sure one of us can fix that."

"S-Sherry…" Hope said timidly, unsure of what to do. She was clutching Sherry's pink lunch bag in her arms protectively.

"Please," Sherry said, a bit more forcefully. "You're scaring her."

"Yeah!" Scootaloo chimed in. "Leave her alone!"

The four boys turned on the younger girls. "And what are you gonna do?"

"Yeah," The first one said. "Gonna go running to your mom?"

Sherry frowned. The Rubrik glowed. "Or, I could just do this."

The cube deformed and then reformed into a large stone suit of armor, towering over all of them. The places where its eyes should have been glowed with unnatural energy. The four boys flinched back. "W-what is that?"

"Meet the Rubrik," Sherry said, smiling. "He's the reason why you should leave Hope alone."

"You can't use magic on us!" One of the boys claimed. Sherry winced as she remembered the restriction on Equestrians—they would be suspended if they used magic to harm a human. Reluctantly, she dismissed the Rubrik.

"She doesn't need to," A voice said. They all turned to see Chrys coming towards them, a small smile on her face. "My, Esperanza, you attract attention like I do."

"Chrys!" Hope exclaimed, relieved.

"So what seems to be the problem?" Chrys walked over to Sherry, pointedly ignoring the boys surrounding Hope.

"Those boys are being mean ta us!" Applebloom snapped.

"Are they now…" She turned, fixing the four boys with a steely gaze.

"We were just hitting on her sister," One of the boys said nervously. "We didn't mean any harm."

Chrys smirked. "No harm, hm? Esperanza. Come here."

The snow white girl timidly moved between the boys and went over to Chrys. "I was scared," She said slowly, clinging to Chrys. "No let me go!"

"Now that was awfully mean of them. You boys didn't notice you were terrifying the poor girl?"

The boys shared a look. "Uh… no…"

"Then you should get better at reading when a girl is uncomfortable, or you'll never get laid." She smirked. "Virgins always have a distinctive smell."

The blush on the boy's faces was about as red as Grace's hair, and they beat a hasty retreat. "That was so cool!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"You sure put them in their place!" Applebloom said.

Sherry looked up at her adoptive sister. "Chrys… how'd you know when to show up?"

"I noticed Esperanza leaving the house after Luna went to go speak to Rarity," Chrys explained, stroking Hope's hair gently. "When I realized she had your lunch bag with her, I knew exactly where she had gone."

At the mention of Sherry's lunch, Hope pulled away from the dark skinned woman and went over to Sherry. She held out the younger girl's lunch. "…Sorry," She murmured.

Sherry took it, a confused look on her face. "Why are you sorry?"

"I… trouble for you," Hope said simply, unable to get her idea across any other way. "Wanted to help."

"It's okay, Hope. Just have someone come with you next time so you can find me quicker."

"Good point," Chrys said, glancing at a nearby clock. "Shouldn't you be getting back to lunch?"

"Oh crap!" Sweetie Bell said. "We have like, no time to eat!"

"Let's not stand around then!" Applebloom and Scootaloo rushed back into the lunchroom, Sherry and Sweetie Bell followed close behind. Sherry paused at the door. "Thanks for bringing my lunch, Hope!"

She vanished back inside just as Hope waved goodbye. "Now, let's get you home," Chrys said. "Grace was worried about you."

Hope thought for a moment. "We fly?"

"Sure," Chrys said with a chuckle. "We can fly home."

* * *

 **Okay, so there was a time skip. Sue me. I know some of you were looking forward to having our newlyweds gushing over their kids, but hey, they're still young. They're not going to grow up that fast.**

 **But! I know someone out there was thinking "What about Rarity and Pinkie? Don't they get a little happiness?" They did! Or... will. Anyway, Luna's pretty cool about it, since it's more of helping a friend than cheating. We think.**

 **It's legal!**

 **But anyway, I digress. Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, and never forget: The Library Accepts All!**

 **Zay gezunt! (Oh... oh my. Um... Yiddish? This was weird. I can't even type those symbols...)**


	42. Chapter 41: Heavy Questions

**Hello, Dear Readers! Another Friday is upon us, and as usual, I have prepared a chapter for your viewing pleasure. But before I let you go, I need to address my comments for the week!**

 **PBJFanFiction: When I'm writing Hope, I'm essentially thinking about what someone who just started learning basic English would sound like/a child. And I couldn't just let Rarity and Pinkie hang like that! But hey, if you've got anything you want me to read, just send me a message and I'll give you my email. I'm always open to being helpful, as long as you're prepared for constructive criticism. :D**

 **Chaddmychal: Thanks for always leaving a comment, and I hope this chapter meets your expectations as well!**

 **Fern of the Clouds: I thought about including Pinkamena at one point, but I thought about it for a while and came to this conclusion: after seeing Pinkie get to that point once before, her friends would probably go out of their way to make sure she never got that far again. That's not to say its out of the question to happen if they weren't around...**

 **Flammablefiredragon: Calm before the storm, my dear friend. Calm before the storm. And I've been trying to find a good cover for the story, but I haven't had much luck. One of those days I wish drawing/graphic design was one of my skills. :P And Dash of Fury is coming along well, from my standpoint. I think my only thing is that I wanna see more of it. :D**

 **I'm at that point where I'd like to have more comments, but then again responding to a lot of them is like... writing another chapter at the beginning of my chapter. But hey, I get more comments, I do more shout outs. I'm not going to complain if people like my story. Anyways, without further ado:**

* * *

Chapter 41: Heavy Questions

"That has to be the weirdest process I've ever been through," Tyr muttered, coming back into the waiting room. Pinkie and Rarity were waiting there for him, expectant looks on their faces. It was only a couple days after the most awkward conversation he had ever had with the two of them, and now his half of this weird process was done.

"What did they have you do, darling?" Rarity asked.

Pinkie bounced over to him. "Was it fun?"

Tyr stared at his pink friend for the longest time before simply sighing. "To put it simply, it's something I haven't had to do much of since Luna started living with me."

"Uh… I don't get it."

Rarity laughed nervously. "I think that's alright, Pinkie-winkle. I get what Tyr means."

"But I don't!" Pinkie complained.

"I'll explain it to you later. For now, we need to get our half done."

"…Okay…"

Rarity glanced over at Tyr. "Darling, are you headed home?"

Tyr smiled. "No, actually it's my turn to pick up Sherry from school. Speaking of which, do you want me to take Sweetie Bell with us too?"

"Oh that would be wonderful. I'll pick her up later, if that's alright."

"No big deal, Rarity. See you later."

He left then, going out to his truck. As he climbed in, something felt off. [Chrys… is everything okay at home?]

After a moment, the thoughts of his Changeling responded. [Everything is alright at the moment. Why do you ask?]

[Just felt something was off. Don't worry about it]

"Hey," Jehu said, knocking on his truck window. "Got a minute?"

"Christ!" Tyr jumped in his seat. The sudden appearance of the mysterious dark skinned man had almost made him jump out of his skin. Once he was calmed down, he rolled down the window. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"I'm hanging out." The grinning man glanced back at the building behind them. "Making a donation? Wrong place, don't you think?"

Tyr stared at him with a dead expression. "Ha. Very funny. I was here with friends. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"A little friend of mine started at Sherry's school today," Jehu replied. "I was going to pick her up."

"A friend of yours?"

"Not related, but she's like a daughter to me." He made a face. "I apparently can't help it when it comes to little girls."

Tyr chuckled. "Careful, you might get called a pedophile if you talk like that."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Jehu said dryly. "So hey, mind if I catch a ride with you?"

"…How did you get here?"

"Magic."

"…Couldn't you just use that then?"

Jehu shrugged. "Maybe I just want to talk."

Tyr thought for a moment. "Alright then. Hop in."

The other man rushed over to the other side, and jumped in. Tyr pulled away from the curb and began to drive. Almost immediately, Jehu spoke up. "So, Tyr, how are the kids?"

Tyr glanced over at him, one eyebrow raised. There was a small smile on his strange friend's face. "The kids are doing well. Aurora is pretty active, always running—or now flying—around. Aleron is more subdued than his sister, but they both get along well with each other."

Jehu nodded. "Solidarity between siblings is always a good thing. That was one of my family's sayings: Family comes first."

"One of your sayings?"

"To be honest, our family creed is 'Every Rose has its Thorns'. But we always put family first. I don't know where I would be without my siblings."

"You have siblings?"

"Yeah, two. My older brother Arcturo and my little sister Franci." Jehu smiled. "I'm to believe you have siblings as well?"

"Only sisters, go figure," Tyr said with a chuckle. "My older sister Nanna and my little sisters Freya and Sif."

"Oh, so the naming theme runs in the family, huh?"

"Yeah, it does."

Jehu was quiet for a moment. "Hey Tyr. Mind if I ask a serious question?"

"A serious question…? I guess, what is it?"

"Have you ever considered what immortality would be like?"

Tyr blinked, and spared his companion a sideways glance. "Immortality? Where did that come from?"

"Just curious." Jehu smiled. "I ask people I know just to test what kind of person they are."

"I suppose that is a good question to use as a test of character." Tyr frowned, considering the question for a bit. "…I guess immortality would be lonely with no one to share it with."

Tyr was so focused on the road that he didn't catch Jehu's sudden frown. "I suppose that is true."

"What about you?"

Jehu blinked and looked over at Tyr. The other man was looking at him with a friendly smile on his face. "I…I guess it wouldn't be worth getting immortality if I couldn't spend it with my family."

"Family first, huh?"

"Exactly."

They pulled up in front of the school and got out of the truck. Kids were already beginning to stream out of the school, and Tyr spotted his daughter and her friends pretty quickly. Sherry being about an inch taller than her friends now certainly helped, not to mention the bright hair colors they sported. They spotted them and made a beeline over to them. Sherry leapt into her father's arms almost instantly. "Hey daddy," She said happily.

"Hello love," Tyr replied, stroking her hair. "Good day at school?"

"It coulda been better," Applebloom admitted.

Sherry pulled her face away from her dad's chest long enough to see Jehu. "Mr. Jehu! What are you doing here?"

"Just getting to know your dad a little bit," Jehu said, grinning.

"Oh! We made a new friend today!" Sweetie Bell said.

Tyr blinked. "You did? Who are they?"

Scootaloo spotted someone in the crowd. "Hey, Ruby! Come over here!"

A young girl with short reddish-brown hair came over to them, a soft purple wool hat on her head. Tyr noticed the hat itself had a six pointed star woven into the side with black thread. "Yes?" She asked softly, her big brown eyes wide. She looked up at Jehu, and her eyes grew even wider. "Uncle!"

"Uncle?" Spike repeated, confused. "This guy's your uncle?"

Ruby nodded. "Uncle Jehu has been taking care of me for a long time now…"

"I have a big family," Jehu admitted with a grin.

"We learn more about you each time you show up," Tyr said with a chuckle.

"Then maybe I should stop showing up," The other man countered.

"Speaking of showing up, Sweetie Bell, I'm taking you home today. Your sister's a bit busy this morning with Pinkie Pie."

Sweetie Bell glanced over at Spike. "…Okay…"

"Who's picking the rest of you up?" Jehu asked, curious.

"My mom is getting me," Spike said.

Applebloom nodded. "And my big brother's coming to get me!"

"My ride's already here," Scootaloo said proudly. Everyone looked at her in confusion, several of them opening their mouths to question her. But before anyone could speak, there was a thud behind them. "I'm not too late, right?" Ace said, dusting off his jeans.

"Just in time, it seems," Jehu said with an amused smile.

"Hey bro," Ace said, gently punching Tyr in the arm. He looked over at Scootaloo. "Ready to go, squirt?"

"You know it!" Scootaloo hovered the few feet over to her adoptive father, to the shock of her friends.

"Scoots!" Applebloom exclaimed. "Y'all just flew!"

"Are your wings finally stronger?" Sherry asked.

"Only strong enough to hover a little," Scootaloo admitted sheepishly. She jumped up onto Ace's back, just between his wings.

"No big deal," Ace said with a grin. "She's got two professional fliers to coach her. She'll be soaring in no time."

"Until then, I'm just taking messages with my scooter."

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Messages?"

"Yup! While dad's working, I take letters for Princess Celestia throughout town!"

"That's really cool," Applebloom said. She glanced over to the side. "Oh! There's my brother now! I'll see y'all tomorrow!"

She ran off. Ace snapped a salute to Tyr. "See ya later, bro!"

He flew off, the laughter of Scootaloo trailing behind them. Tyr ushered the two remaining girls into his truck. "So Jehu, how are you going to get home?"

"I have my ways," Jehu said with a grin. "Go on. We'll be seeing you."

"Okay then…"

"Oh, and by the way—Nice to see you, Fenrir!"

The wolf girl shot up in the back seat. "Arbiter! I had not realized…!"

"It's fine, I like being unassuming. Take good care of this man, alright?"

Fenrir nodded. "Of course."

"See you later, Ruby!" Sherry and Sweetie Bell said. The shy girl waved back. Tyr got into the driver's seat, Fenrir moving up to the front so Sherry and Sweetie Bell could sit together. As he drove away, he glanced into his rearview mirror. Jehu and Ruby were gone, and he could have sworn he saw something large flying away. Hopefully it was just his imagination.

"Alpha," Fenrir spoke up a few minutes later. Sherry and Sweetie Bell were discussing something that happened at school, so they weren't paying attention to them.

"Yes, Fenrir?" Tyr glanced down at the wolf girl. Fenrir's hair—and by extension, her fur—had lately become a dark shade of silver. The wolf spirit claimed it was because hers and Tyr's magic were becoming more and more connected.

"Have you had any strange feelings today? As if today would be out of the ordinary?"

"I have," Tyr replied, a little surprised Fenrir was feeling the same. But she was a spirit in tune with change, and any small change was enough to upset her nose. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know." Fenrir started to groom her tail. "But whatever happens, be on your guard, Alpha."

"Hey, Tyr," Sweetie Bell suddenly spoke up. "Is Sherry allowed to date?"

Tyr coughed. That came way outta left field, and even he couldn't say he was expecting it. "Um… what?"

"Well, I was just curious. Rarity got mad at me the other day for not telling her Spike and I was dating."

"I don't think you told anyone," Tyr pointed out. Sweetie Bell giggled nervously.

"Right… but you didn't answer my question."

"Well…" Tyr trailed off, glancing at his rearview mirror. Sherry was looking at him expectantly. "…As long as she finds someone I can approve of."

"Hopefully your standards aren't too high, dad," Sherry teased.

"Hey, be more worried about your mother. I'm sure she'll be more strict about who you date."

"Oh… I never thought about that."

They turned onto the street that led to Tyr's home, and found a pair of unmarked vans parked in front of the castle-home. That bad feeling from earlier came back. "Who's at your house Tyr?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"I don't know," Tyr said. He pulled into the driveway and they all piled out, Fenrir taking her usual spot hanging off Tyr's shoulder in her smaller form. They went inside to a peculiar scene. All of Tyr's housemates plus Trixie were in the living room, seated across from a pair of armored men in mechanical suits. Between the men was none other than his older sister, Nanna. She seemed extremely happy to see him.

"Little brother!" Nanna stood, a wide smile on her face. "About time you got home! I was just enjoying some time with my new extended family."

"Not fun," Hope said quietly.

Tyr sized up the pair of men flanking his sister. They were well built, and were armed in those exoskeletons that Nanna had developed. Neither of them looked particularly happy to be there. "Who are your friends?" Tyr asked, motioning for Sherry and Sweetie Bell to go upstairs. Sherry, easily reading into the situation, took Hope's hand and led her upstairs as well. Nanna watched them go.

"Don't remember Sherry having wings," She pointed out.

"A lot has happened over the year," Luna pointed out in response.

Nanna frowned ever so slightly. "I don't remember a white haired girl living here either. Or you living in a castle."

"Things happen," Chrys said, a little more forcefully than Luna. Tyr could feel the irritation coming off of his Changeling, and wished he was near her to calm her down. But his sister showing up with armed guards was still a big red warning light anyway. His own irritation was being felt by his Changeling. Chrys continued. "We could go on and on about the things that have changed since you were last here, but that would be quite tiresome, wouldn't it?"

"She has a point, Nanna," Tyr said. "In fact, I'd rather prefer it if you just told me what you're doing here."

Nanna frowned, sitting back down. "Can't a sister just come to see her little brother?"

"Not with armed guards."

"This sort of approach does not sit well with me," Luna said irritably. "Storming into our home with armed guards and claiming it is just a 'visit'?"

"Moon," Tyr said shortly, catching Luna before she went any further. The Princess of Dreams took a deep breath.

"…I apologize. But tell us why you are here."

Nanna's eyes narrowed and her mouth turned into a hard line. "…I started working with a government agency," She began. Tyr's demeanor fell almost immediately, and he turned away.

"Christ, Nanna, what have I told you…"

"I needed the funds for my project! The Gordian Knot was too much to handle in my smaller lab!"

"Gordian Knot?" Grace murmured.

"It's a relic of some other world that showed up after the Merge," Nanna explained. "It hold untold secrets, of powerful technology we have yet to realize. The Exo-suits are just the tip of what I can do with it!"

"And in exchange for funding you now make weapons," Tyr said shortly.

"Think about other uses, little brother!" Nanna pressed on, almost desperately. "We can use these on people who are physically unfit or missing limbs! People can walk again!"

Tyr frowned. "So then why are they not being used for that yet?"

Silence. Nanna shook her head. "I didn't come here to discuss this with you, Tyr."

"Then what?"

"We've… had surveillance on you."

"…You were watching me?"

"Not you in particular! It was mainly to keep eyes on the Princesses, to learn about them."

"You mean to discover if we have any weaknesses," Luna snapped.

"No we…"

"People fear what they do not understand," Tyr said quietly. "Didn't I always say that?"

Nanna fell silent. Her two bodyguards looked at one another. Silence reigned in the room again, but this time it was Chrys who spoke. "Are you ever going to tell us why the hell you're here?"

"I'm here for my brother," Nanna said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tyr asked. His patience was beginning to run thin.

"I need you to come with me. Back to my lab."

"Why?"

"Because you're a human being with magic, little brother!" Nanna said excitedly. "The first ever seen!"

"So you want me for study, is that it?"

"Just a… a few tests…"

"I'm surprised you'd even consider asking me," Tyr said, disgusted. "I have a family now Nanna, that I have to be there for. Two kids who are looking to their dad for guidance. I'm not going to just up and go with you just because you want to run tests. I'm not some guinea pig."

"That's not what I meant!" Nanna complained. "We just want to know where it comes from! Think of all the untold things we could do if we could duplicate it!"

Tyr folded his arms. "…I'm not helping you make more weapons, Nanna."

"That's not why I'm asking!"

"But it's the end result!"

"Look Tyr!" Nanna was beginning to grow angry as well. "The people I work for are really serious about this! If I don't bring you, they'll be coming after the Princesses—" She caught herself, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

"So it's not even me you're after. You want Luna and Celestia."

"Wait, Tyr we—"

"No more excuses, Nanna." Tyr's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to go with you, and I'm sure as hell not going to let you take Luna from me."

"Our bosses don't like being told no," One of the bodyguards said gruffly.

Tyr glanced over at the man. He stood up straight, matching the man in the mechanical suit inch for inch. For a long minute, he simply kept his gaze on him. When he spoke, his voice sent chills down the spine of everyone in the room. "I want you to realize something. People like you don't scare me. I've put bullets in more imposing men than you. No power on this planet is going to make me hand over my wife or _anyone_ to you or whoever you work for, and I sure as hell aren't going to be intimidated by you. You try to hurt or take anyone from me, and you won't live to see the next day."

"Tyr…!" Nanna got up, but Tyr's cold, silver eyes fell on her next. At the force of his gaze, she sat back down.

"Nanna, you're my sister. We've always had rough patches between us, but that's the way siblings usually are. But I thought you knew me well enough to never ask something like this of me."

Nanna looked down at her lap. "I… I had no choice."

"You had a choice," Chrys said harshly. "But you made the wrong one."

Luna's magic glowed softly, and the front door swung open. Her voice was emotionless. "…Please leave."

Nanna looked around the room, finding cold stares from everyone present. Her welcome had been overstayed, and she could tell. She sighed. "This doesn't end with me, little brother," She warned.

Luna's reaction was quick. "I will not ask you kindly again," She said, the glow of magic enveloping her. "Leave. Now. And take your men with you."

Nanna said no more, instead simply standing up and walking to the door. Her bodyguards followed, and like that, they were gone. The sound of the van's starting up signaled the tension in the room to finally dissipate. "I can't believe her," Tyr said softly.

"Was it alright to be that harsh to her?" Grace asked.

Chrys snorted. "She deserved that amount of harshness."

Tyr sighed. "Nanna… has always seen the world a bit differently than most people. I blame the fact that she spent so much time experimenting and hypothesizing that she just doesn't have social skills. But to think she'd ask that of me…"

Grace sighed. "I just have a bad feeling about this whole thing," She said.

"I think we've all had that today," Fenrir offered, hopping from Tyr's shoulder to the couch.

Luna stood up. "Beloved, will you come upstairs for a moment? Grace, the kids are taking a nap in the other room, so could you…?"

"I don't mind at all," The red haired woman replied with a smile. Luna took Tyr's hand and led him upstairs. She didn't say a word until they were locked into their room, a soundproofing spell on the door.

"Um…" Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Moon?"

She kissed him then, roughly. There was passion in this kiss, and she used the surprise and momentum to knock him flat onto the bed. She finally came up for a breath a moment later. "Did you like that?" She asked huskily, running her hands along his side.

"Well, of course," Her lover replied with a grin. "But where did this come from all of a sudden? You're usually a little more… reserved.

"It may be just because I now have Nightmare Moon's half of my emotions, but when you threatened that man…" She shivered slightly. "Maybe Nightmare Moon preferred stronger men?"

Tyr smirked, and hooked one leg under Luna's, pulling it over and reversing the position. The Princess of Dreams looked up at him with a mixture of surprise and lust. "Well. I can't disappoint now, can I?"

Below, Chrys suddenly shivered. Grace looked up from her spot beside the sleeping twins at her. "Something wrong Chrys? Are you cold?"

"No, nothing of the sort."

"Then what?"

Chrys smirked, a slight blush growing on her cheeks. "Midday snack," She replied.

-x-

It was a little past midnight when Tyr awoke. The room was dark and a little chilly, but the warm body stuck to his side was warmth enough for him. Despite how comfortable he was, something just didn't feel right. The slight shifting beneath him signaled his wife was awake. "Moon," He ventured quietly, "You awake?"

"I am," Luna replied softly. Her cerulean eyes opened and angled up to look at him. "What is it?"

"One second." He used his sonar pulse again, letting the argent glow rush through the house. Luna shifted ever so slightly as she felt the wave of magic, but stayed silent. Tyr felt his magic outline Chrys and Hope, Sherry, then the twins, and then Grace. And then about a dozen other figures were outlined on the bottom floor. Figures that should not be here. "…There are people in the house."

"Other people?"

"People who shouldn't be here."

Tyr got out of bed quickly, retrieving Fenrir from her sheath on the wall while Luna went to the wall beside the door. Tyr could feel the wolf spirit awaken in the blade, a question in the feeling. He made a mental promise to explain later. Last but not least, he retrieved his pistol from its lockbox on the dresser. He took a place on the other side of the door away from Luna. [Chrissy]

[Yes, Master?] The gentle thought came back.

[We have uninvited guests]

[I have noticed. What do you need me to do?]

[Make sure they don't get to the kids or Hope—]

"Tyr!" Luna hissed sharply. He glanced over at her, noting just momentarily how sexy she looked in a simple nightgown. He couldn't help it. He was a guy after all. Tyr redirected his distracting thoughts just as Luna spoke again. "I cannot sense Hope's dreams!"

"What?" Tyr failed to see why that was such a bad thing until he realized the connection. If Hope was not dreaming, she was awake. And Hope had a habit of getting little snacks at night whenever she could not sleep. He used his magic as a sonar pulse again, and sure enough Esperanza was out of bed and moving to her door. She was moving quietly, but the moment that door opened… "…Get ready."

Luna didn't speak, instead her magic spoke for her as she was illuminated by a dark blue glow. Through the Bond, he felt Chrys's magic awaken as well. After a year of training, Tyr had pushed his physical and magical senses to another level, and he could hear the soft boot steps of the armed men outside in the hall clearly. To anyone else, they would have been ghosts in the night. But to a sniper who was already trained to hear a pin drop at preposterous distances already, they were like a marching band in the street.

And probably most of them were going to die.

Hope's room had been around the corner from the stairwell, and the drowsy girl had just come around it as the first man reached the top of the stairs. They both froze as her eyes met his goggled ones. She blinked twice, rubbing her eyes just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. When the man didn't disappear, she started to panic. Seeing the girl suddenly open her mouth to scream, the lead soldier raised his weapon and fired one shot. Hope's magic sprung unbidden to her defense, a golden barrier of magic deflecting the shot and making it thud into the wall. Hope then proceeded to scream in pure, abject terror.

"Shut her up!" The lead soldier said, rushing up as the rest of his team moved up. The man fired several more shots at Hope, the girl shutting down and cowering in a ball. The loud sounds of the gunshots had terrified her. Luckily, her magic was not as unresponsive as she was, and held up against the bullets. He managed to take two steps before a furious Tyr burst from his and Luna's room and flung Fenrir at him, the sword spinning twice before burying itself blade first in his chest. He only managed to grunt as he fell back. The second soldier, seeing his comrade die, raised his weapon to fire. But before he could pull the trigger, Chrys came hurtling from a side room, slamming into him and carrying him over the railing. The third up was shot in the throat. At this point, the men were quickly realizing the trap they had walked into. They tried to push back downstairs, only to find Luna waiting for them. The temperature in the stairwell dropped several degrees, frost growing on the walls and the gear of the men there. They tried to fight free, a couple managing to get out of the stairs even as the rest began to freeze to death. Luna trapped the survivors in a cage made of magic.

"You all seem to be in the wrong house," She said darkly. Tyr came downstairs, Hope clinging to him. Chrys came down after him, licking blood off her claws as usual.

"It's okay now, Hope," He said comfortingly, stroking her hair. She calmed down a little bit, but seeing the two men Luna had captured, immediately hid behind Tyr. She shook her head vigorously.

"No!" She said. "No loud noise! Hope no like!"

"Hope…"

Luna looked over at her two captives. With a motion of her hand, they were stripped of their weapons. "Now that we have that out of the way, who are you?"

"We won't talk," One of the men said, still defiant. Luna's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, they became the serpentine ones of Nightmare Moon.

"That's terrible. You won't be able to tell me how you'd like to die."

"You wouldn't!"

"You barged into our house and tried to kill Hope," Tyr pointed out. "Plus, we've killed all your men except for you two."

The two men shared a look. "You brought this on yourselves," The other man said.

A spike of ice shot up from the ground and impaled the man's leg, eliciting a sharp intake of breath and a muffled scream. Tyr managed to cover Hope's eyes before it happened. The first man looked at his friend in horror, gaze snapping back to Luna. "You bi—"

"You might want to watch what you say," Luna said darkly. "I am not as benevolent as my sister. I will kill you if I must. Tell me who sent you, and I might have some mercy."

The man weighed his options for a moment, his friend too busy coping with pain to respond. He finally realized he only had one option. "…We were sent by the Agency to bring you in."

"The Agency?" Luna frowned. "What kind of name is that?"

"Ask his sister," The man said, gesturing to Tyr.

"Nanna works for them?" Tyr murmured, somewhat surprised. "And they sent armed soldiers after us?"

"This is just the beginning," The soldier said. "The fate of humanity relies on learning about Equestrian Magic. And once we do, we will be ready to face whatever comes from any other dimension."

They stared at him in mild shock. "You… you plan on going to other dimensions?" Tyr asked quietly.

"The Equestrians caused the Merge. They have to hold the secret for going back!"

Luna and Tyr shared a look. "For someone who professes to be doing their best for humanity, you sure are ignorant of the truth," Luna pointed out. With a snap of her fingers, the two men vanished.

"Where did you send them?" Chrys asked. Luna let out a heavy sigh as her eyes reverted back to normal.

"I sent them far away," Luna explained. "Far enough away that they won't be bothering us for a while."

"When those men don't report back, we'll have trouble," Tyr warned. "We should prepare for the worst."

"…I fear you are correct, beloved."

"For now, we should get some rest. We can talk to your sister in the morning." He turned his head to look at Hope. "You ready to go back to bed, Hope?"

"Scared," Hope said simply, not letting him go.

"Oh boy." For such a mature looking girl, Hope had the mindset of a young child. "Would you feel better if you slept with Luna and I tonight?"

She perked up at that. "Really? I can?"

"Yes, you can. Come on."

As the man led the snow haired girl upstairs, Chrys lingered behind with Luna. The Princess of Dreams was silent, staring at the place where the men had just been. Her eyes traveled over to where the other men were still frozen on the stairwell, her magic coming to life long enough to warp them away. When that was finished, she glanced over at the silent Changeling. "…What?"

"You enjoyed killing them," Chrys said softly, the ghost of a smile on her face. "Didn't you?"

"And what if I did?"

Chrys moved across the few feet between them in a second. A smile was on her face as she took the other woman into a hug. "There is nothing wrong at all, Luna. Simply do not lose that feeling."

"Chrys…?"

"Emotions remind us that we are alive," Chrys explained, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "So do not fault yourself for what you feel."

"Even if I feel… wrong?"

"You have a man that loves you," Chrys reminded her, letting her go. She moved away and back to the foot of the stairs. "Talk to him about what you feel. He'll listen. Don't bottle it up."

"…You really have become my friend, Chrys," Luna said. Chrys smirked.

"I thought I already was."

The Changeling slipped back upstairs, leaving Luna alone. The Princess of Dreams stayed there for a moment longer, running through her conflicted thoughts. She never wanted to simply kill a person, but being able to destroy her enemies with ease was never a terrible thing. So now she was left with a dilemma. Was she happy to kill? Did she enjoy it?

"Moon."

She turned, finding an amused Tyr looking at her from the stairs. "Yes?"

"Are you coming to bed or are you going to be debating whether or not you enjoy killing people?"

He had impeccable timing. She guessed Chrys must have told him. "You… you know?"

"I went through the same thing, love."

Luna's eyes widened as she remembered. Her husband's previous occupation had been a sniper—someone whose job it was to kill in cold blood from a distance away. He was no stranger to killing. "So… feeling like this isn't wrong?"

"Conflicted? Of course not. That's normal. Just don't dwell on it for too long or you'll drive yourself crazy."

"I see. …Thank you for being here for me, beloved."

"Always," Tyr said with a soft smile. "Now come up to bed. Hope won't sleep without both of us there."

Luna sighed, but a smile crossed her face. "I swear, she is more of a child than our own children."

"Let's just be glad all this excitement didn't wake up the kids," Tyr said as she came up to him. "Otherwise our bed would be pretty full."

"Oh, and tonight would have been quite nice night for just the two of us," Luna complained, sidling up to him.

"Oh, you little tease!"

"Tomorrow then, beloved." Luna smiled. She would come up with some reason for her and Tyr to be alone in the house. She needed time alone with her husband anyway. Any time she could spend with him was precious.

* * *

 **Nanna, the portent of doom. And if anyone is wondering what my idea of exo-suit is like, I was kinda imagining them to look like the suits from Modern Warfare or even XCOM 2. I just could not think of how to describe them accurately, so its open to interpretation.**

 **But there we have it, readers of all denominations. I hope you'll Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, which I will be diligently working on. Don't forget: The Library Accepts All.**

 **Totsiens! (Afrikaans, according to my translator)**


	43. Chapter 42: Communication Breakdown

**Hello, dear readers! A pleasure as always to post more of this story for you. I hope you're enjoying reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it. Anyways, onto my comments for the week!**

 **Chaddmychal: I would have had a huge scene for Tyr getting armed and all, but in my mind Tyr would prefer to resort to violence last. But now I have this mental image of Tyr doing the whole armory scene from Hot Fuzz. :P**

 **0\. King Nothing.0: What can I say? I love high tech.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: I won't stop you, that actually fits my idea. :D And you know good things never last long. Main characters are danger magnets.**

 **PBJFanFiction: Hey, better late than never. And no problem about the review, just keep on writing! I'll stop by whenever I see you've updated.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: Where should I start with this one... hm. One, I specifically haven't done anthro. They're humans with tails. And adding a chapter before the prologue adds... well nothing. I'd have to write too much to make everything flow the way I'd want it, and then it wouldn't add much to the story. Tyr's story takes place well after the Merge, about a year at least.**

 **Secondly, I can name three characters from the My Little Pony FiM franchise that held grudges that long right off the top of my head. Luna tried to kill her sister (or at least banish her) and held that grudge for a thousand years or longer. Trixie Lulamoon went and got an ancient artifact to make her stronger so she could humiliate Twilight. and Starlight Glimmer went and dug up an ancient time spell just to destroy Twilight's relationships with her friends. Can't hold grudges? Methinks you are incorrect, dear friend.**

 **Thirdly, the characters aren't perfect. They can't be. It would make for quite the dull story. Plus, making Fluttershy cry is grounds for death. And there was already a lot of irrational actions happening at the time. Without the whole "kiss and make up" scene that normally happens at the end of an episode.**

 **Lastly, thanks for reading though! Hope you stick around for the rest of the story. :D**

 **Whoo! That was a bit and a half. I guess I won't tarry longer then. Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 42: Communication Breakdown

Once again, city hall was in an uproar. Even the normally calming presence of Celestia had done nothing to calm the people. Mayor Trent was cowering off to the side of the small stage, content for now to let Celestia take the brunt of the crowd's anger. She stood between Flash and Ace, both of them with worried looks on their faces. The expectation for Celestia to calm the crowd down hadn't come to pass, and it was starting to look more like a riot than an orderly discussion. Celestia made another fervent plea for peace. "Please, everyone, if we could just calm down—"

"Calm down?" An irate woman stood up. "We've been living alongside people that could destroy the entire town if they wanted to!"

"Who told you that?" Celestia asked, frowning. From what she remembered, she had managed to keep quiet Luna's… outburst.

"An email came in from a government agency warning us of your powers," Another man said, standing up as well. "That your magic could go out of control at any moment and kill all of us!"

"Go out of control…?" Ace murmured.

Celestia glanced from Ace back to the crowd. "My magic is quite under control," She assured the people. It didn't seem to change anyone's feelings there.

"And what of your sister's?" A deep voice said. Everyone present turned to see a well-dressed man in military garb enter the room. He was brightly decorated with medals and ribbons, and walked with a noticed military swagger. A noticeable sword with an elegant hilt hung from a short chain at his side. He walked with the air of someone certain of their own self-importance, the shadow of a smirk on his face. He came to a stop just short of the Princess of the Sun.

"My sister is her own person," Celestia said, addressing the newcomer. "And she is well in control of herself."

"She wasn't during that one incident," The man said with a slight smirk. "Her boyfriend had been stabbed, yes? It seems she reacted quite badly to that."

"I believe anyone would react badly to a loved one almost dying."

"But she nearly leveled an entire city block in the process."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe I know who you are, sir."

"Ah, where are my manners." The man gave a showy bow. "Major Edward Bastille, commander of the Human Unified Defense Agency. Our job is to protect humans from non-human threats."

"Never heard of you guys," Ace said brusquely. Bastille chuckled slightly.

"I wouldn't be too surprised. We are a relatively new unit."

"And how do you know so much about me and my sister?" Celestia asked. "Are you keeping tabs on me?"

"We have to—you're a threat to humanity."

"All I've ever wanted is cooperation between Equestrians and Humans," Celestia pointed out. "I would never willingly harm a human."

"They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions," Bastille replied smoothly. Ace moved forward to speak on behalf of his princess, but Bastille preempted him. "Speaking of time bombs, where is that sister of yours?"

"Right here," Luna said, entering. Tyr and Grace were on her heels, and the Princess of Dreams looked none too happy.

"It seems you are late."

"I have children to take care of, thank you very much."

"Ah yes, the half-human half-Equestrian children." Bastille looked over at Tyr. "Tell me: were they born with wings? Horns? Unusual strength?"

He was rewarded with a dark scowl from Tyr. "I don't think that is any of your business," He said softly.

"I suppose not."

"So why are you here?" Celestia asked. She was rapidly tiring of this man's presence, and she hoped the tone of voice conveyed that. "Are you simply here to insult me and my sister?"

"I'm here to let you know we will not sit idly by while threats like you roam our streets," Bastille said, stepping forward. "We will be watching, and one mistake will have us come down on your heads."

There was a soft noise as Tyr's phone buzzed. "Who is it?" Grace asked him as he turned away to answer it. There was a bit of surprise as he lifted it to his ear.

"Lyra?" He murmured quietly, Celestia and Bastille's heated stare down taking backseat to the call. The lyrist's voice was panicked.

"We need you to come here now!"

"What? What's going on?"

"The people at the club we were playing at… there was a crowd outside, and Octavia and Sweetie Bell are hurt—"

"…Sweetie Bell's with you?"

"Vi asked her to sing for us when we performed today, and she—ah!"

"Lyra? Lyra!" Tyr's panic had caught the attention of those around him, and now a crowd of eyes were focused on him.

"Please, hurry! We're at the Sweet Dream, and Tavi's bleeding bad!"

"Moon—" Tyr began, turning to his wife. She was already shaking her head, a smile on her face.

"Just go, beloved. Grace will watch over me," She said, adding a glance over at the redhead. The other Lunar Knight nodded.

Tyr quickly rushed back outside, getting clear of the building before letting his internal map come to the forefront of his mind. Alongside his daughter, Tyr had been learning advanced spells to use. Teleportation was still out of the question, as the last time he had used it he had ended up a mile out of town. But he could still do what he liked to call 'Switching'.

He felt the prickling feeling as his magic coursed through his muscles, priming them for what they were about to do. He had a clear image of the path he needed to take, and all that was left was the execution. To anyone else, it looked like he teleported, vanishing into digital smoke. But in actuality, Tyr created a construct of himself at the location he wanted and instantly switched places with it. The construct itself vanished upon the transfer, leaving Tyr standing between two confused women and a medium sized angry mob. Perfect placement, he thought with a smirk. "Tyr!" Lyra exclaimed, her shock at his sudden arrival apparent. "How did you get here so fast?"

"I've learned a few tricks," He replied evenly, looking over at her. Lyra and Vinyl were the only two unharmed. He noticed Octavia leaned up against the wall beside the DJ, her head bleeding from a gash along the side of her head. Sweetie Bell was between them, clutching at a cut on her arm. There was fear in her eyes at the unwarranted violence from the crowd. Tyr turned to face the crowd. To his surprise, there was fear in their eyes alongside the anger. He narrowed his eyes. "What's going on here?"

"Move out of the way!" One of the gathered people yelled. "They're dangerous!"

Another voice agreed. "Yeah! We can't be safe with them here!"

Tyr frowned. "You know you're the ones who attacked _them_ ," he pointed out. "They haven't done anything to you."

"We have to act first or they'll take us by surprise!" Another voice claimed.

Tyr opened his mouth to reply, but a sight from above distracted him. It was smoke. "…A fire?"

"It's the Equestrians! They're attacking!"

Tyr didn't have time to see who had spoken, as a cascade of thrown objects rained down on him and the group of girls, from bottles to stones to other objects. Lyra cried out as one rock hit her in the head, drawing blood. With just a thought, Tyr covered them all in his Turtle formation, the silver shields absorbing the rain of objects. "Stop this!" Tyr roared over the noise. "These girls haven't done anything to you!"

"That doesn't mean they won't!"

"There's no getting through to these people," Tyr murmured with a scowl.

"What do we do?" Sweetie Bell asked shakily moving over to cling to Tyr's side. "Are they gonna kill us?"

"Not if I can help it," Tyr replied shortly. "Vinyl, Lyra, get Octavia up onto my back. I'm getting you girls out of here."

"You sure about this dude?" Vinyl asked, moving to lift the unconscious musician up.

"I'm not going to abandon you guys. Come on."

The two women lifted their friend up onto his back, careful to keep her from hurting her any more. "How are we going to do this?" Lyra asked.

"Just stay close. We're going to my house. Testudo!"

The silver warriors formed a box shaped defensive shape, shields still held to defend from all sides. The girls crowded around Tyr as he began to walk, his constructs following along. Nothing thrown by the crowd touched them, and after a little ways they gave up altogether. Tyr kept up the formation until they were in sight of his home. "We made it," Lyra said, relief flooding her voice. "Thank Celestia you came, Tyr."

"Don't mention it. Chrissy!"

Chrys peeked out of a window, shock on her face. She flew down immediately. "Master! I was not expecting you home for some time!"

"Take them inside," Tyr ordered immediately, not taking any time to explain to his somewhat confused Changeling. He glanced back towards town, seeing more plumes of smoke rising as the town he lived in tore itself apart. "This is ridiculous…"

"What is happening out there?"

"Someone has put an idea into everyone's head that Equestrians are an immediate threat to their safety," Tyr said darkly, adjusting the strap that held Fenrir to his back. The Pack was lively, the scent of blood on the air. "And now they're trying to take matters into their own hands."

"Where is Luna? With her sister, I presume?"

Tyr nodded. "I'm going back out there. There are people in danger."

"Ever the valorous knight," Chrys teased, opening the front door and letting Lyra and Vinyl carry Octavia inside. She glanced back at him. "…hold a moment."

"What?"

She crossed the space between them and rested her forehead against his. "Come back alive, my Master."

Tyr couldn't help but smile. "Of course, my dear Chrysalis. Take care of them, alright?"

"Your will be done."

Tyr Switched away then, leaving the Changeling standing there with a small smile on her face.

He popped up in an alleyway around the corner from the town mall. The riots were pushing up along the streets, and to his horror, Tyr could see the bodies of killed Equestrians along the sidewalks. How had everything deteriorated so quickly? Not just a few days ago, everyone in town was living together peacefully. And now it was almost a small scale war on the streets, with the Equestrians on the wrong end of misguided fear and anger from the humans. He watched the crowd move past, only to hear a familiar voice cry out. "Hey you losers! Hands off me!"

"Rainbow Dash?" Tyr murmured in surprise, moving slightly around the corner for a better look. It was indeed his brash friend, struggling against a small group of people. She looked ready to fight, but the numbers were quickly turning against her and her struggle as more people rushed over to take down the Element of Loyalty. As he watched, one of the men tore her jacket away from her and looked fully prepared to do more. Tyr didn't hesitate, instead letting Fenrir loose of her sheath. The wolf spirit flowed into existence seamlessly, her pack of spirit wolves forming alongside her. Tyr gave one order. "Disperse them."

The pack of wolves let out a howl and charged out into the street. The people nearest to them screamed in terror and ran, but those further away simply turned in confusion. The found Tyr coming out of the alleyway, Fenrir in her massive wolf form following him while the vast wolf pack surged from behind them. The few armed people fought back, trying to knock aside the wolves that reached them. Tyr made a beeline for the men holding Rainbow down. The light of his necklace glowed a bright blue as he leapt into the group, scattering them. He lashed out with one arm, catching another of the men with the back of his hand. The other men in the ground were brought low by Fenrir and a group of wolves. Fangs, claws, and howls marked the death of those humans as Tyr's fury was transmitted to the pack. Amidst the chaos, Tyr pulled Rainbow to her feet. "You alright?" He asked as Fenrir and the wolves chased the last of the humans away.

Rainbow was quiet for a bit, retrieving her jacket and slowly putting it back on. She winced a bit, and Tyr noticed the bruises along her arms. They must have been really rough with her, he figured. "I've been better," She said quietly, massaging one sore arm.

"…Let me see." Tyr moved over to her and took her arm in his hands, moving her sleeve up to see. There were a few cuts along her arm that she obviously didn't want him to see. As if to further reinforce that fact, she jerked her arm away.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Tyr glanced over and saw the fallen body of a human man nearby. He went over and tore a couple strips of fabric from the man's sleeves. "Give me your arm."

"I don't need any—"

"Give. Me. Your. Arm."

She stared at him for a long moment, inwardly deciding on whether or not she should give in. But Tyr's gaze was firm, and she finally lifted up her wounded arm. Tyr quickly tied the fabric around her cuts. "…Thanks," She murmured after a moment.

Tyr smirked. "You gotta let your friends help you out, Rainbow. That's how we get through this."

"…You know, I didn't like you at first."

He glanced up at her. "…Oh?"

"Yeah. Thought you were just some guy who really wanted to get into Princess Luna's pants. But you know, you've really proven yourself."

"Glad I could get your approval," Tyr said with a small smirk.

"No, I'm serious. I'm… I'm glad you're on our side, Tyr."

The dark skinned man smiled. "Meeting you all changed my life, Rainbow. All of you are important to me, so I'm sure as hell going to protect you girls."

The rainbow haired girl stared at him for a long moment, watching him finish tying the cloth to her arm. The way he acted was almost like he was embodying the very Element she claimed as hers. Almost without knowing it, she smiled. Tyr was actually someone she was glad to have become friends with. Rainbow chuckled. "…Thanks Tyr. We really should hang out more. I mean it."

"I won't argue with that," Tyr replied with a laugh of his own. "Maybe once all of this is over, we should go riding."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "On your bike? Just you and me?"

"I was told once by my grandfather that in order to have good relationships with your friends, you gotta spend time with them. And the most important ones? Spend one on one time."

[Alpha] Fenrir strode over, blood in her coat that was obviously not hers. [We have scattered the crowds as you wished. Anything further?]

"She can talk like that?" Rainbow asked, confused. She could hear the thought-speak Fenrir used in her wolf form. Tyr simply nodded as an answer to her question.

"Keep pushing them out, and keep the Equestrians safe," He said.

"Wait a second," Rainbow said, holding up her uninjured hand. "Those people have nowhere to go. This just keeps going until they've gotten us all."

"One of those moments I wish I had a bigger castle," Tyr murmured to himself. He thought for a moment. Rainbow had a point—this riot was going to continue until one of the two sides was wiped out. The only feasible safe place for the Equestrians was his castle, since it was by nature alone a defensive position. But there was no way he'd get every Equestrian in there… "Well, I'll have to try. Rainbow, you good to fly?"

He was answered by a cocky grin and a pair of sky blue wings spreading out from the woman's back. "You better believe it!"

"Find every Pegasus you can and get the word out to every Equestrian that they need to get to the castle."

[Alpha, your new home is large, but not large enough to house that many people] Fenrir warned.

"We fit as many as we can," Tyr asserted. "Keep the Pack on the hunt. Try not to kill that many."

[Aw, that's no fun]

"Just do it, please?"

[As you wish.] With a single bark to call the Pack back to her, Fenrir went charging off into the city. Tyr didn't think too much of it—Fenrir would do what he asked of her, no questions asked. A soft noise to his side signaled Rainbow Dash taking off, the usual rainbow streak trailing behind her as she flew away. Tyr let out a deep breath, and pushed on into the city. As he made his way onto a side street, he came face to face with Big Mac and Cheerilee.

"Tyr!" The school teacher exclaimed, blinking in surprise. Even the large man seemed a bit shocked to see him.

"What are you two doing here?" Tyr asked, looking between them. They were the last people he expected to run into at a time like this.

"Big Mac was helping me with some heavy lifting," Cheerilee explained, frowning. "What is the name of the Princesses is going on?"

Tyr turned to the big man. "Mac, you remember where my house is—well, where the castle is, right?"

Big Mac nodded slightly. "Eeyup."

"Take Cheerilee there. Get anyone else you see there as well."

The farmer simply nodded and gently started pushing Cheerilee away. She was still confused, but Tyr was glad for the understanding from the other man. That was one less worry on his mind—

"Found you."

Just as Big Mac and Cheerilee left, Tyr heard the voice address him. He turned just in time for a pneumatic metal fist to hit him right in the jaw and send him flying. He curled up as best he could before he struck a nearby wall, but he felt the impact rattle almost every bone in his arm. Once he hit the ground, he sat up, searching for his attacker. It was none other than the soldier Tyr had faced down not even the other day. Nanna's bodyguard. From the look of it, he was wearing a heavier variant of the exo-suits he had seen before. "You," He hissed, getting back to his feet.

"Not so tough at close range, are ya?" The man asked, flexing his arms. The servos in the exo-suit whirred as they adjusted for his augmented strength. Tyr spat on the ground and stood back up. His jaw hurt, and he worked it around with his hand. Glad he hadn't bit his tongue or anything.

"Talk to me when you're not wearing the metal harness," He countered. The soldier simply grinned and charged forward. Tyr dived aside as the mechanically enhanced soldier smashed into the wall he had just been backed up against. The wall gave, and dust flooded the narrow street as the side of the building buckled under the impact. Tyr frowned. Why was he getting all the big, tough guys?

He elected to run, sprinting away down the street. The augmented warrior stormed after him, screaming curses the whole way. He heard the click of a weapon behind him, and threw himself against the wall in time to avoid a stutter of bullets rattle across the ground. He risked a glance behind him to see his attacker aiming a bullpup rifle at him. Wonderful. "Stay still!"

"Not gonna make this easy for you," Tyr spat back, ducking around a corner. He heard the growl of irritation from the augmented soldier as the chase began anew. He wanted to try Switching out, but he had to be still and focused for it to work properly. Sprinting around with a metal giant on his heels was definitely not optimal. So he kept running, making sharp turns to avoid staying in line of fire for too long. But the side streets and alleys would only hold up for so long, and he slowed to a stop in the middle of a wide open square. He heard the plodding steps of the soldier behind him. He turned to face him.

"Can't run away anymore, can ya?" The soldier said with a grin, raising his gun. "Couldn't hide forever, huh?"

Tyr was silent for a moment. The sun was beginning to set, and a gentle darkness was beginning to fall over them. The fires over the small city obscured the sky, and the red light gave everything a dark feel to it. "They didn't teach you anything, did they?"

The rifle barrel lowered just an inch. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You should never fight a sniper on his terms," Tyr pointed out. The soldier frowned, but then he realized where they were. Standing smack dab in the middle of a pack of silver wolves, all of them were snarling at the threat to their Alpha.

"What the hell…?" He murmured, looking around. He stared back at Tyr. "All that running…?"

"To buy time for the Pack to catch up," Tyr said. Off to his right, Fenrir approached, shifting into her small form to climb onto his shoulder.

"You should know better than to chase an uninjured wolf," the wolf spirit said with a toothy grin. "Get him!"

The wolves charged forward. The augmented soldier tried to shoot, but a wolf chomped down on his arm, weight bringing the line of bullets into the ground. To his credit, the armored soldier fought hard to get free, flinging wolves aside like pieces of wood. "He's awfully persistent," Tyr pointed out. Even as the soldier fought, the continued attacks from the wolves began to wear at him.

"Then let's finish it," Fenrir growled playfully, changing once more. However, the weapon in Tyr's hands was a bit different this time. The armored soldier found out the hard way when a great hammer pulverized his skull.

-x-

"I can't believe this is happening," Celestia murmured, looking out the window of the car. Flash was driving her, Luna, Grace and Ace back to Tyr's home, taking back streets to avoid the majority of the chaos. She gently rested her hand against the window. "All that work… for nothing."

"It's not your fault, sister," Luna assured her, placing a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "You could not have accounted for these people's paranoia."

"Would it be any different in Equestria?" Ace asked. "If suddenly a bunch of the humans appeared in our world, would we have been any less wary of them?"

"I would hope not," Celestia said after a moment of thought. "But we may never know."

"For now, we just need to get to safety," Flash said. "I'm thinking Tyr and Luna's castle."

"It is a castle after all," Ace agreed.

"It shouldn't take long for us to get there—" He was cut off by a black van screeching to a halt in front of them, forcing him to brake suddenly. "Oh, damn."

"What's going on?" Luna asked, craning her neck to see. Before she could look, Grace had a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down to the seat. "Grace!"

"Stay down, Princess," Grace said, eyes glued to the van in front of them. Ace and Flash were already ready to move, hands in the door handles. The van's side door slid open, and several armed men in black tactical gear jumped out. Rifles raised up and pointed at the car.

"Out of the car!"

"Grace?" Ace murmured.

"On it," The redhead said, magic gathering. Everyone else in the car ducked down. The soldiers paused in confusion for a moment before a rippling barrage of needles ripped through the front window and into the gathered soldiers. They were turned into porcupines before they even knew what was happening.

"Oh my," Celestia murmured, looking over the fallen men in front of them. "That was… impressive, Grace."

"I've been practicing my aim," Grace said, using her magic to retrieve all her needles. She let them file back into her pouch. Luna noticed a new addition to her knight's armaments—a holster was attached to her thigh that contained several slender throwing knives. She must have been training with those as well. As if to punctuate the thought, one last man came around the other side of the van, somehow surviving the onslaught of needles. Before Flash or Ace could react, Grace had pulled one of her throwing knives free and threw it at him, hitting the man in the chest before he could even fire his weapon. He went down cold. The others stared in mute shock.

"No kidding," Ace murmured.

"We need to move that van," Flash said, only to have the van lift up in a golden glow and slide off to the side. "…Oh, right."

"Shall we go?" Celestia asked with a small smile.

"Gladly." Flash nudged the car through the narrow path and out onto the main street. But their trouble was far from over. Several more vans raced into the street, and suddenly they were surrounded. Flash sighed. "Buck me."

"Later," Ace said, pushing his way out of the car. Flash did the same, shooting his friend a dirty look. Grace got out of the car alongside Princess Celestia and Luna. The vans surrounding them expelled their contents, and before long, they were surrounded.

"This isn't good at all," Celestia murmured, looking around. One of the passenger doors on the nearest van opened, and out stepped Bastille, a smug smile on his face.

"Ah, Princess. Glad we caught up to you! I didn't think I'd catch you."

"Bastille," Celestia said, eyes narrowing. "What is this all about?"

"You and your sister, obviously. You really thought I was here to debate with you?"

"I assumed as much," Luna snapped. "And now you're here to kill us."

"Kill you? Far from it. We want to study you, figure out how your magic works. And we can't do that if you're dead."

"You won't even get the chance," Ace growled, reaching for his blade. Bastille gave him just the smallest of glances.

"We don't need the other three. Kill them."

"I will not stand here while you threaten my people," Celestia said. Luna moved up beside her, her intention to stand alongside her sister apparent. Bastille's smile turned into a frown. He let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.

"Then we can always examine your corpse—"

"Oi! What the hell are you idiots doing outside my shop?" Vanna demanded, coming out of the front door of his shop. He looked around at the scene before him, his irritation giving way to confusion. "…What in the name of Vulcan is this?"

"Vanna!" Grace called out in warning. Her outcry caught everyone off guard, and a single gunshot rang out.

"Oh no," Luna whispered, watching in almost slow motion as the bullet impacted Grace directly in the chest. The shock appeared briefly on the woman's face as she fell backwards to the ground. Luna rushed to her knight's side. "Grace!"

"Oh, Buck!" Ace hissed.

"Who shot!?" Bastille demanded, turning around and looking over his men. The one who had done the deed looked shocked, most likely simply caught off guard. Bastille stormed over to him and pushed the smoking gun down. "You idiot! What if you had hit the princesses?"

He didn't get a chance to defend himself, before a deep, guttural growl caught everyone's attention. It was coming from Vanna, the metalsmith's eyes full of a dark, fiery rage. Celestia and her entourage looked surprised. They had never seen any sort of anger from the usually amiable metal worker, and this fury… looked feral. Vanna's eyes narrowed. "…You shot Grace, you BASTARD!"

A roar ripped itself from the crossdresser's mouth, and he burst into flames. The suddenness of the conflagration left everyone shocked. "By the Night…!" Luna whispered, horrified. The gathered people in the street watched as the flames grew, many of them backing up as the heat got to them. The flames grew higher, and suddenly a pair of golden eyes peered out from the flames. As they watched in horror, a dragon of immense size emerged from the flames, dark bronze scales glittering in the firelight.

"By the sun and sky," Flash whispered in horror. "That's… that's…"

Ace finished his sentence for him. "…That's a dragon."

"Vanna… was a dragon?" Celestia murmured, watching the massive beast eye the assembled people below. "Or rather, _is_ a dragon…"

"What do we do?" Luna asked, but her question was answered by the assembled soldiers.

"Shoot it!" Someone cried, and a cacophony of noise erupted as the gathered soldiers fired their weapons up at the dragon. However, to their immediate dismay, the bullets simply ricocheted off the beast's steel-like scales. All their attack did was to bring the dragon's ire down on them. With just a movement of its head, flames poured down over the men who stayed in place, incinerating half of them with one blast. The rest began to flee.

"Stand and fight, you fools!" Bastille cried, drawing his sword. Celestia found her eyes drawn to it, noticing a peculiar aura of magic surrounding it. But before she could place it, the man was violently batted aside like a ragdoll by one massive claw. He slid to a stop against a far wall. He didn't get back up.

The dragon then turned its attention back to the small group of Equestrians. They backed up just a step, only Luna holding her spot beside Grace. She looked up as the man-turned-dragon loomed over her. The beast opened its mouth to breathe flames down on her, but before it could do so, a giant silver stone smashed into its side. Frustrated by the distraction, the beast turned its head. It came face to face with Tyr, the man standing in front of a massive silver trebuchet. "Am I late?" He asked.

"Tyr!" Luna exclaimed, but was unable to say anything further as the dragon charged towards the silver eyed man. Tyr held his ground, the catapult behind him vanishing and the argent light forming into a squad of six warriors. Unlike his usual army based units, each of the six constructs was different, specialized even. One was an archer wielding a longbow, with a second being a crossbowman. One was clad in heavy armor and wielded a great axe. Two more were carrying spears, and the last was using twin swords. "What are those…?"

"Never thought I'd be using this Formation," Tyr said with a smirk. "But here it is—Engaging Dragon Slayer Formation!"

He leapt forward, followed by his knight construct. They ducked under the strike from the dragon, slashing at its legs as they ran past. The archer and crossbowman fired from a distance, while the other three warriors began to circle around. They were keeping just outside of the sight lines of the dragon, keeping it moving around and not attacking. "He's using smaller numbers to focus them better," Flash observed.

Tyr and the faster melee construct danced around the Dragon, darting in for attacks when they could before retreating away from claw strikes. Silver arrows and bolts peppered the beast, further enraging it. Flames burst about, but the small team was too fast, too agile. The dragon lunged forward to crunch one of the spearmen, missing by a slight margin. But now the dragon's head was low enough—the opportunity he had been looking for. Using one of the other constructs as a stepping stone, he vaulted up onto the beast's back. "Fenrir! Blunt Fang!"

The sword in his hands became a great hammer, and he brought it crashing down on the dragon's head, smashing it down into the ground. The very force of the blow cracked the street below, and the dragon cried out loudly in pain. With a quick hand gesture, ropes of silver materialized at Tyr's command to pin the dragon down. After recovering from its daze, the beast began thrashing at its binds. The magical ropes boke easily, but Tyr kept replacing them as quickly as they broke, managing to match the beast in speed. But he was tiring quickly, while the dragon seemed relentless. "He can't keep it down!" Ace said. He jumped aside as the creature's tail slammed down nearby, flipping a parked car into a building. "By the sun, that thing is going to kill us at this rate!"

"We have to help him!" Luna declared, her magical aura rising. But before she could leap to her husband's aid, a noise caught her attention. A cough.

"By Celestia and Luna, bullets _hurt_ ," Grace moaned softly. Everyone nearby turned to look at her. The red haired woman was slowly rising, a small object falling off of her. It was a small, flattened bullet. On her cloak was a small hole where the bullet had hit her.

Flash was staring at her in shock. "But… That bullet…" He trailed off, eyes drawn to the hole. It was at that moment he remembered the main thing about the design for the cloaks Rarity made for the knights and the Guard: they were bullet proof. "The cloak stopped it."

"Still hurt like taking a hoof-kick from Applejack to the chest," Grace complained.

"I still want to know why everyone always uses Applejack for these comparisons," Luna pointed out.

"Worry about that later," Flash pointed out. "Tyr is still fighting that beast."

"Right, we should—" Luna looked back over and found a most peculiar sight. The dragon had ceased struggling, and it was looking directly at Grace. Taking note of the sudden attention, Grace looked back. Her blue eyes met the golden ones and a note of recognition flickered through them.

"…Vanna?" She murmured.

The dragon huffed, and burst into smoke. When the smoke receded, Tyr was standing beside a half-naked Vanna. The metalsmith was still wearing his pants, but no shirt. He looked quite sheepish. "…Sorry you lot had to see me like… that."

"You never told me about the dragon thing," Tyr said quietly, fixing his gaze on his friend.

"It never came up!" Vanna protested, turning to him. "Look mate, I've been living alone for all this time, and I never trusted anybody to carry that secret but me. You'd be surprised what pieces of a dragon go for in worlds like these."

"But you know I'd never tell!" Tyr replied. "Vanna, you're literally the first person I trusted besides my own family!"

There was silence. Everyone was staring in shock at the normally calm Tyr. Luna went over to him and gently touched his shoulder. "…Beloved?"

Tyr let out a heavy sigh. "Look… Vanna. I… I understand if it was hard to tell me. But… you're family to me man. Trust me?"

There was a small smile on the metal-smith's face. "…Of course, you big idiot."

"Although I still think you owe your girlfriend an explanation," Grace added softly.

"Heh, yeah." Vanna scratched at his head, then paused. "Wait…Girlfriend?"

"Wasn't like I was unconscious," Grace admitted, going over to him. "You turned into a dragon because of me, right?"

"I mean… I thought you were dead, flame hair." He gave her a lopsided smile. "You're the first thing I've ever had in my life that makes me heat up."

Grace leaned in, pulling the slightly taller man into her arms for a gentle kiss. "I'll do my best, Goldie."

Vanna rolled his eyes. "Oh, Vulcan's Flame, now she has a nickname for me…"

"We should be moving," Flash said quickly. "Before any of the mobs reach us."

"Yeah…" Tyr smirked, glancing over at Vanna and Grace. "You two can make out once we're back at my house."

Vanna shot him a dark look. "Yeah, and save the whole rope trick for Luna. That's not my fetish, mate."

"We only tried that once!" Luna protested, only to receive several strange looks from everyone else. After realizing what she had just admitted to, she blushed furiously and hid behind her hair. "…Oops."

Tyr face palmed. "…Let's just go."

-x-

"Why does this keep happening…?" Tyr murmured. He and the small group with him had arrived at his home quite quickly, but nothing was the same. Instead of the small castle-shaped home that previously stood there, now there was a fully sized castle complete with an inner yard, a keep, and walls studded with battlements and turrets. Chrys was waiting at the door, and she jumped up at seeing him.

"Master! You return!" She leapt into his arms happily.

"Chrissy… can you explain what is going on here?"

"I sensed your thought of a bigger castle, Master," Chrys explained. "So I communicated it to Sherry. She… made it a reality."

"But she can't simply make something out of nothing!" Luna protested.

"It's the Rubrik," Sherry answered, coming out of a small side door. She smiled. "I envisioned it, and it came to be."

"I suppose we should start calling you the Princess of Creativity," Celestia teased. Sherry blushed slightly, still quite unused to compliments from a princess.

"I don't think I'm worthy enough to be a princess," She complained as they walked inside the main yard. Equestrians lined the area, many of them rising to bow before their princesses. The shock of people getting up just to bow to them caused Sherry to open her wings in surprise. A low gasp rippled through the gathered Equestrians.

"She has wings!"

"And look, that mark on her hand!"

"She's an Alicorn too?"

"She must be a princess too!"

Equestrians began to gather around them, clamoring to see their new Princess. Sherry backed up a bit, only to run into Celestia. The Princess of the Sun simply smiled. "It is quite alright, Sherry. You achieved something that Twilight, Luna, or even myself could not do. You unlocked the secrets of the Rubrik all by yourself, and discovered what brought us here."

"But…!" Sherry began to protest, but Luna put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It is alright, my daughter," She said, giving her a wide smile. "Simply by extension, you are a Princess. You are mine and Tyr's daughter, after all."

"I… okay."

Celestia smiled warmly and turned to the crowd. "My dear subjects, events have blessed us all with a new Princess to welcome to our numbers, Sherry Spice. She is now your Princess of Creativity!"

The crowds applauded loudly. "And now she's accepted as a princess," Flash said with a frown. He and the other men stood off to one side, Vanna wearing one of Flash's extra jackets so he wouldn't be exposed to the elements. "Aren't you just the lucky man, Tyr?"

"Technically, if you and Twilight have kids, they'll be royalty too," Ace pointed out.

"I… I hadn't thought of that."

"Hey man," Tyr said with a chuckle, "I'm just lucky to have them."

"Well, now we must fight to protect them then," Fenrir pointed out, transforming and perching on Tyr's shoulder. She gazed up at the castle walls behind them. "…As uncomfortable as I am with… enclosed places, I do hope those walls hold."

"We'll have to start looking to the rest of the Equestrians for those able to fight," Ace said thoughtfully. "But arming them is another matter…"

Vanna smirked. "Sure, I can't make guns, but if you guys bring me metal, I can make anything sharp ya need."

"Given we have access to magic, we should be able to make at least decent use of it," Flash agreed. "Thanks Vanna."

"Hey, after my little display? They're probably looking for me too."

Tyr looked around. A lot of people were crowding around the three Alicorns, pleading looks in their eyes. They were scared, and they wanted their princesses to protect them. He sighed. It was going to be a long week.

* * *

 **No rest for the wicked, as they say. And Vanna's a dragon? Whaaaat?**

 **Totes explains the 'hot' personality. (I apologize profusely.)**

 **And on another note, if at any time I come off as condescending or harsh in my comment-replies, I'm not trying to be. But sometimes things must be addressed. I don't expect all my comments to be rave reviews. The eventuality is that someone will take issue with my writing.**

 **And the Library Accepts all.**

 **Now If you'll excuse me, I'm off to continue writing.**

 **Pruzah Sul! (Thanks !)**


	44. Chapter 43: Shared Bonds

**Hello again, dear readers. I hope the wait for this chapter wasn't too painful. Unfortunately, this chapter is a little on the shorter side, but that's because I was seized by another idea as I was writing. I know a lot of stories deal with "what if" scenarios, and one in particular came to mind: If Tyr and Chrysalis failed to give Luna the strength to overcome Nightmare Moon, what would happen?**

 **Thus we have Broken Sunrise.**

 **That short story will be going up the same time as this chapter (as a separate thing, of course) so if you please, do give it a read. Be forewarned, it does get a bit... bloody. But I digress (I think I use this word too much...)  
**

 **N1gh7Wolf93: Racism is bad in all its forms. Although Tyr's town wasn't always so paranoid... perhaps theres an outside influence? And the reason Fenrir is a female is simply because of boredom. Fenrir's spirit form, however, is male (read back to the dream sequence). A female physical body was just a random choice.**

 **0\. King Nothing.0: Make sure you've got a back up copy of your OS while you're reading. :D**

 **Chaddmychal: As always, thanks for the comment, and hope you enjoy!**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: Appreciate you finding that. Small stuff like that still slips by occasionally. And I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Like I always say, I am open to any and all comments and reviews. Each review means someone took the time to read my story, and that's always a good thing. I will continue to write because I love it, and even if only one person out there enjoys my writing, I will consider it a job well done (but could always be done better).**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Very nice! And unfortunately, despite knowing it, Vanna actually doesn't like the traditional Dovah language. It reminds him of his dad, who still won't let up on the crossdressing thing. Plus, I'm pretty sure he'd blow Grace away accidentally. :P**

 **dylanbroussard50: Glad you're enjoying the story! Hope this next chapter keeps you interested!**

 **But now, onto the chapter! How does one actually deal with the logistics of running a castle?**

* * *

Chapter 43: Shared Bonds

The grounds of the new castle were quite expansive, and Tyr found himself even wandering the keep itself. The keep was essentially just a larger version of the old castle, with all their old decorations and belongings still in one piece. There were a couple other buildings in the castle as well: An impromptu barracks where Ace and Flash were screening potential fighters for the inevitable conflict, and an infirmary that Grace had converted from a storage space. There was also a forge in the basement of the keep where Vanna was already eagerly toiling away. According to the dragon-metalsmith, there was enough space there for him to do his forging in dragon form. Apparently that made it much easier to work. Everywhere else, there were makeshift houses where the rest of the Equestrians lived. The Princesses, Tyr and his family, the knights, and the Elements of Harmony stayed within the keep.

Tyr rounded a corner and found a room he hadn't been into before. When he entered, he found Twilight making notes in a notebook. She seemed deep in thought, and at first he didn't want to disturb her. She looked up anyway. "Oh, hello Tyr. Did you come by to check the numbers?"

"Numbers?" Curiosity peaked, Tyr entered the room. Twilight turned the notebook towards him so that he could read it. There was a long list of different kinds of food, and numbers written next to them in Twilight's neat handwriting. "…What exactly is this for?"

"I'm keeping stock of our food supply," Twilight explained, taking the notebook back. She tapped her pen on the desk she was using. "Lucky for us that Chrys can disguise herself, otherwise we'd be in a serious predicament."

"How so?"

"Well, we've been teleporting Chrys in and out of the castle in order to buy food," Twilight said. "She's disguised herself as different humans, bought food, and let us teleport it back. She's really helped us out over the past couple of days."

[Good girl] Tyr thought, and he felt the happiness from his Changeling immediately. "Anything else you're keeping track of?"

"I've got a general idea of how many people are here, on top of how many of them that can actually fight. If you want to know, that is."

"…Save it for later. Or tell Ace and Flash if they come by."

"Alright. I'll do that." She went back to writing.

Tyr made to leave, but a thought occurred to him before he did. "Hey, Twilight? Why'd you decide to do this?"

The sound of Twilight's pen writing stopped suddenly. "…The waiting was scaring me," She said after a while. "We know this Agency or whatever is waiting on us to come out, and we know they're watching… But we really can't do anything. I can't do anything. So I'm doing what I can, and that's organizing."

"…Organizing?"

"I'm keeping track of food, any weaknesses in the walls and stuff, how many people come in… all that sort of stuff."

She wasn't looking at him, too nervous to meet his gaze. Tyr simply smiled. "That's good enough, Twilight. Thanks for doing this—I was worried we wouldn't be able to feed anyone here."

"I…" She looked back up, seeing the smile there. A small one grew on her own face. "Thanks Tyr."

"No problem."

"Oh! Before you go, you might want to drop by and talk to the other girls. I think they all wanted to see you."

"See me?"

"Of course!" Twilight smiled. "You're our friend, Tyr. And… we all want to spend _some_ time with you."

Tyr thought back to what he said to Rainbow. Guess it had gotten around to the other girls. "Right. Thanks again, Twilight. I'll see you around."

"Don't be a stranger!" She called after him as he left. He simply waved as he walked away. As Tyr walked down the halls, he found other Equestrians saying hello and asking him numerous questions about the castle. Most of them he had to explain he was as new to this castle as they were. When he entered the main hall, he was suddenly attacked by his daughter.

"Daddy!" Aurora exclaimed, hugging him.

"Oh, hello Ro." Tyr grinned. "You were looking for me?"

"Uh huh!" Aurora pulled away just enough to look at him. "Auntie Fluttershy was looking for you!"

"Fluttershy?" Tyr looked up from his daughter to see the girl in question approaching, another woman by her side. "Oh. Hey Fluttershy."

"Hello Tyr," Fluttershy said softly. "If you're not busy, could I trouble you for a moment?"

Tyr adjusted how he was holding Aurora and gave his shy friend a smile. "Sure, Fluttershy. What's up?"

"Um, first, I probably should introduce my friend here. This is Zecora. She used to help us out a lot in Ponyville."

"Greetings to you, husband of Princess Luna," Zecora said, bowing slightly. "I feel remiss in not meeting you sooner."

Tyr noticed the slight rhyme hidden within the musical way Zecora spoke. He smiled. Must be something she grew up doing that she does it so naturally. He decided to mimic her. "It's quite alright. We've had quite a few harrowing nights."

Zecora raised an eyebrow, obviously noticing. She smirked a bit. Fluttershy seemed a little more oblivious. "Well, I was brought on Fluttershy's request. For her to explain it, it may be best."

Fluttershy blushed. "Um… okay. I noticed there were quite a few injured Equestrians the other night. I was thinking perhaps Zecora and I could help?"

"Of potions and curatives I have quite a stock," Zecora agreed. "Although to make more I would need the medical stores unlocked."

"I can do that for you," Grace said, coming over. She was dressed in a simple tank top and pants, with her hair tied back. Tyr noticed that the few tattoos that were on her arms. Grace had explained why she had all the tattoos one day when they were at home, and had taken to showing them off a bit more than before. "I've heard about you, Zecora. Master herbalist from the Everfree Forest?"

"I did not know I had become so well known; I do believe my mind is a bit blown."

"I've been looking for help in the infirmary," Grace explained. She looked to Tyr. "Is it alright?"

Tyr frowned. "It's fine with me."

"I'd like to help out as well, if that's alright," Fluttershy offered. Grace looked elated.

"Oh, I was wanting to ask you, Fluttershy! Thanks for offering—we need all the help we can get."

The three women left, leaving Tyr alone with his daughter. "Where's Auntie Fluttershy and Aunt Grace going?" Aurora asked.

"They've got work to do, Ro," Tyr explained, ruffling her hair. "Hey, how bout we go find your sister and brother, huh?"

"Yeah!"

Tyr, still carrying his daughter, continued his semi-tour of the castle. They exited out into the yard, passing by many of the other Equestrians that had taken residence in the castle. They all looked forlorn and worried, and he couldn't blame them. They had been run out of their homes and attacked without reason—there was little to be happy about at the moment. Searching for his own bit of happiness, it wasn't long before Tyr came across his wife and son, the former reading a book to the young Aleron. They were seated underneath a small tree, and Luna looked up as they approached. "Beloved," She said in greeting, a small smile crossing her face.

"Mommy! Al!" Aurora cried, hopping out of her father's arms and trying to fly over to the other half of her family. She made it halfway before crashing lightly into the ground. Luna and Tyr both started, moving to help her, but the girl simply jumped back up and toughed it out. Even little Al seemed surprised.

"Oh dear," Luna said with a gentle chuckle, catching her daughter before she could stumble to the ground again. She gently rubbed a bit of dirt off Aurora's face. "Be more careful, my little crescent moon."

"Kay Mommy!"

"You're settling into being a mother really well, love," Tyr said, coming over.

Luna simply smiled. "I've always had a natural predisposition towards children," She explained. She adjusted slightly so that Aurora could take a spot in her lap while Aleron took a spot at her side. It looked almost natural to her, Tyr realized. The gentle smile on his wife's face as her two children attempted to read, and the brightness in her eyes whenever they got a word right.

"I agree with you there, princess," He said, moving to take her other side. Sitting down with his wife would be wonderful right about now—

"Hey Tyr, you got a sec?" Tyr glanced behind him to see Vinyl approaching, a frown on her face. She was obviously upset, but Tyr couldn't begin to guess at the reason.

"…I supposed I do," Tyr admitted with a sigh. Luna gave him a small, comforting smile as he turned to face the electric blue haired woman. "What's up?"

"Come with me," She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"Bye daddy!" Aurora called after him, Al waving as well. Tyr gave them a halfhearted wave back just as they went out of sight.

"You've noticed all the Equestrians around here with the long faces, right?" Vinyl asked after a moment. She let Tyr go just as they reached the largest collection of makeshift houses. Sure enough, the large majority of the Equestrians had worried looks on their faces, jumping at almost every sound. It was depressing.

"Yeah. You had an idea to do something about it?" He asked, looking at her.

"Well… me and the girls were thinking of doing something. Like a show or something."

Tyr smiled at that. A show? That would be the perfect thing to get the Equestrians minds off of their current situation. "That sounds good, Vinyl. I think you should do it."

"Just one problem. We don't have the equipment for it. Tavi and Lyra have their instruments, but I lost all my gear the other day. Unless this castle is already wired up, I dunno what we could do to get this party started."

"Party!?" Pinkie exclaimed, suddenly appearing from behind Tyr. Vinyl jumped back, freaking out at the sudden appearance of the pink blur. "I heard someone say party!"

Tyr took the sudden arrival of his friend in stride. "Hey Pinkie. You think you could do me a favor?"

Pinkie blinked. "A favor? Sure Tyr, I don't mind. Unless you want me to break up with Rarity. I'm not doing that."

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, Pinkie," Tyr told her with a chuckle. "I was wondering if you could help Vinyl and her friends set up for a show."

"Ooh, what kind of show?"

"A music show," Vinyl said. She had a small frown on her face, as if getting Pinkie involved was the last thing on her mind.

"I can totally help out with that!" Pinkie said happily. "Besides, all these grumpy-wumpy people need to smile, and a music show sounds like super-duper fun!"

She zipped off, no doubt to find tools and whatever else she thought she might need. Tyr and Vinyl watched her go, a small sigh leaving her lips. "I guess I should go warn Tavi and Lyra," She said, giving him a shrug as she left. Tyr gave her a short wave, only to have his arm tapped by his favorite farm girl.

"Oh. Hey Applejack," He said, greeting the blonde. "…Need something?"

"Well, not particularly," Applejack said. "Although… I was looking ta help out with the food situation."

"Oh?" Tyr frowned. "I thought Twilight had that under control."

Applejack blinked, but then started to chuckle. "I know Twi. She's probably just writing down numbers and whatnot, right?"

"…Uh, right."

"I'm talking about the actual food, Tyr. What we do with it."

"Well, we obviously have to ration it out…"

"Me and my family can help out there! We were thinking ta round up all the folks here that can cook and get some good grub made out of what we got. Plus, an Apple can make any amount of food stretch to feed as many people as we got!"

Tyr thought for a moment. Rationing food was one thing. But having someone make more out of so little would be perfect. "That would be wonderful, Applejack. Good food should raise the spirits of everyone here."

"And nobody makes good food like an Apple! You won't regret this, sugarcube!"

She dashed off, most likely to get to work. Tyr found himself smiling. His friends were all so willing to help without being asked. Probably comes from always helping out whenever they were needed to back home, he figured. Now alone again, Tyr made to go back to his wife. However, it seemed destiny was against him, as suddenly Rarity was there, pushing him inside the keep.

"Rarity, what the hell!?"

"I need you right at this moment, Darling," She said, pushing him into another doorway and down some stairs. "I hope you weren't in the middle of anything."

"No, I wasn't but—"

"Wonderful!"

Knowing that there was no dissuading his fashionista friend, Tyr simply sighed and let Rarity lead him. Before long, they were down in the forge, a soot covered Vanna waiting on him. A dark grey shirt was put onto him before he could even ask what was going on. "Stand right there," Vanna ordered.

Tyr frowned. "Okay…"

"I'm clear, darling," Rarity said, moving away from Tyr.

"Someone wanna tell me what's going on?"

"One sec bro," Vanna said, holding up his hand. A small metal ball was stuck between two fingers; one bent like you would flick something. Tyr ran through the calculations of what Vanna's strength could do to propel something that small. He came up with a value worth grimacing at. "Don't flinch."

"Oh, crap."

Vanna flicked the metal ball forward, hitting Tyr dead in the chest. To the other man's surprise, the ball reflected off the metal shirt without penetrating. "Oh my," Rarity murmured, watching the metal object clatter to the floor.

"It worked!" Vanna exclaimed, the biggest grin on his face. "We're geniuses, Rarity!"

"Can one of you explain what's going on here?" Tyr demanded.

"Oh, sorry bro. Rarity asked me how thin I could make metal wiring," The metalsmith replied.

Rarity picked up. "And I was pleasantly surprised to find myself holding metal run so thin to be thread! And when I tried working it into fabric… well, you can now see the results!"

Tyr glanced down at the gray shirt he was wearing. Now that he thought about it, he could feel the slight weight of it, and there was a slight dent where the metal ball had hit him. "So this is… armor?"

"Of a sort," Vanna admitted. "I flicked that ball at you about as fast as a bullet could travel, and it didn't hurt you. It's more like a bullet proof piece of clothing that we can make with what we've got on hand."

"We can make these relatively quickly, with Vanna's skill with metal and my talent at weaving fabric," Rarity explained. "Given time, we can make one for all those who plan to fight."

"What do you think, bro?" Vanna asked.

Tyr was a bit sad that it was a forgone conclusion that there would a fight in the future, although he himself was almost resigned to it. Second of all— "Why is everyone asking me for permission to do stuff?"

Rarity and Vanna glanced at one another before looking back to him. "Guessing no one told you, bro," Vanna said.

"Told me what?"

"That Princess Celestia has put you in charge of the castle defense," Rarity continued. "Ace, Flash and Rainbow are out of the castle to find any survivors from the riots, so that makes you the one in charge for now."

"Wait, but… isn't Twilight a princess? And Luna is too, why wasn't one of them chosen?"

"Because I thought you would be the best at it," A gentle voice said. They all turned to see the Princess of the Sun herself walk into the forge, a small smile on her face as she addressed the three of them. "Was I wrong?"

"A little warning would have been nice, Tia," Tyr countered, frowning. His sister-in-law simply laughed softly.

"You wouldn't have agreed if I had brought it up to you," Celestia said. "You would have pushed for command to be given to Ace or Flash."

"They're technically my superiors," He pointed out.

"For all intents and purposes, the four of you—including Grace, of course—are all the same when it comes to authority."

"…So that's why everyone has been asking me for confirmation."

Celestia nodded. "You'll do fine, Tyr. You've already done quite well as it were."

"Princess!" An exasperated voice called, catching their attention. Scootaloo came running in, slightly out of breath. The young messenger made a quick bow.

"Rise, little Scootaloo," Celestia said. "Catch your breath. What is it?"

"One of the sentries sent me," Scootaloo said, after taking a moment to breathe. "Tyr, Princess, they want you to come see what's going on outside."

"I suppose we should go then," Celestia said, heading back up the stairs. Tyr followed after her, a mental command for Fenrir to join him. They crossed the yard, other guardsmen rushing to position. A pair of sentries made way for them just as Fenrir caught up. As they made their way up onto the wall, the wolf spirit took her spot on his shoulder. "Ah, hello Fenrir."

"Sun Princess," Fenrir replied smoothly. "What is the occasion?"

"I think they've shown their hand," Tyr said quietly, pointing out over the wall. As the three of them and the gathered guards looked, dozens of vans and armored trucks rolled up outside the main gate, black clothed soldiers pouring out and putting up deployable shields. Before long, a picket line had been formed.

"There's so many," Celestia murmured in surprise.

"So I suppose this means we're under siege now," Fenrir pointed out dryly. "And I thought being in a stone prison couldn't have gotten any worse. Yippee."

"Don't act so surprised," Tyr joked softly. But the dark feeling at the edge of his heart wouldn't go away. This was going to end in bloodshed. A battle would be fought, and this castle would be the battleground. "…Scootaloo?"

"Yessir?" Scootaloo had followed them up to the walls, ever the diligent message runner.

"Run to Vanna and get him to rush production."

"On it!" She dashed away, quickly crossing the yard and vanishing into the keep. Celestia turned to him.

"What shall we do?" She asked.

Tyr opened his mouth to speak, only to see something raise up from the newly formed enemy camp. A white flag. "…A flag?"

"It seems like they wish to parley," Celestia offered, just as confused. "Why?"

"I think it's customary to allow the besieged party a chance to surrender in the face of superior forces," Fenrir said thoughtfully.

The Equestrians were far from weak, Tyr thought. And as long as he was here, he would fight alongside them. They were his family now, in more ways than one. Twilight and Flash, Rainbow and Ace, Fluttershy and Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie… And Luna and Celestia. Not to mention all the kids. They meant as much to him as his own sisters, and he'd die before letting harm come to them. And meeting for this parley would be the first step towards the oncoming battle. With a small frown and determination on his face, Tyr spoke up. "Let's go see how much of an advantage they think they have."

Tyr, Celestia, Luna, Grace, and Chrys entered the large tent that the HUD was using for their main camp. Both Knights were fully armed and armored, Grace being fitted with the second metal shirt that Rarity and Vanna had made. Chrys was herself as usual, although she kept a perpetual scowl on her face to scare off any wandering eyes. Sitting behind a foldout table was Bastille, a scar on his face to match his scowl. He obviously wasn't happy to see them, but the circumstances required him to greet them. Tyr couldn't help himself. "Get in a fight or something, Bastille?"

The human commander snorted. "You'd know. Get the Princesses some chairs," He ordered. A pair of chairs were quickly procured and Celestia and Luna took their seats across from the human man. Tyr and the others took up places behind them.

"To what do we owe the honor of this meeting?" Luna asked. Bastille gave her a dark look.

"Hold on one moment. We're waiting on someone."

"Why?" Grace asked. Her question was answered almost immediately, when Nanna entered the room. Tyr immediately frowned. His older sister saw his look, but didn't comment on it.

Bastille cleared his throat. "Now that we're all here, I'd like to get right to the point. We'd like you to surrender."

Celestia sighed. Luna scowled. "Unconditionally, I would risk assuming?"

"Of course. We hold the numerical and power advantage. We have you surrounded, and there is no escape."

Luna looked ready to continue, but Celestia held up a hand. She took a moment before beginning to speak. "…So what, may I ask, are your terms?"

"Sister, you cannot be considering…!" Luna began, only for Celestia to glare her into silence. "…Fine. I will be silent for now."

"Continue, Mr. Bastille."

Bastille frowned, but decided to ignore the look he was getting. "…You and your sister will be released into our custody, along with the two children born to her. All other Equestrians will be allowed to go free."

"Over my dead body!" Luna roared, standing. Tyr was by her side in an instant, only managing to keep his voice level through force of will. Demand his children as hostages? Not as long as he was still standing.

"I'm afraid I'd have to agree with my wife here," He said coldly. Bastille kept his cool regardless. Instead of responding, he looked over at Celestia. The look on the Princess of the Sun's ace was unreadable. After a long, quiet moment, she spoke.

"You can't ask that of us," Celestia said calmly. "Those children are extremely dear to my sister and her husband, and myself as well. We cannot agree to those terms."

"Then you leave us no choice," Bastille said. "We will come in after you, and many of your people will die."

"A lot of my people have already died, Bastille. Killed for no reason in those riots no doubt caused by your people."

"We simply educated them to a threat."

"And what happens if we had agreed to your terms? My people would be prosecuted and killed, with no one to defend them."

"They will die here regardless if you do not surrender."

"The same could be said to you. We will not go quietly."

"You can't win this."

"Can we not?" Celestia smiled. "Even your resources are exhaustible."

Bastille's eyes narrowed. "You seek to test me?"

Celestia stood, her light pink eyes bright with calm fury. "You have threatened my people. You have threatened my family. You have crossed many lines in a short amount of time, and that bothers me. We will not surrender, and we will resist you to the end. I hope your people are ready to die for you."

"Are yours?" Bastille shot back.

"As much as I wish them to not be," Celestia said.

Nanna stood up then, panic in her eyes. "Tyr! Talk some sense into her! This is madness!"

"Madness is thinking we could get past this," Tyr replied evenly. "You couldn't just let this go, could you, Nanna?"

"This is for the good of the human race, little brother!" Nanna cried.

"Not at the expense of my family."

"I am your family!"

"NOT ANYMORE!" Tyr roared, and silence gripped the room. Eyes darted between the two Hymir siblings, Nanna's shocked look facing Tyr's anger. After a long minute, the older woman visibly deflated. Tyr continued in a quiet tone. "…You stopped being my sister when you tried to rip everything I care about from me."

"…If that's what you want." Nanna said, resigned. "…Goodbye, little brother."

"Goodbye, Nanna."

"We will be seeing you soon, it seems," Celestia said. She gestured to the others. "Come. We should be going."

"You will regret this," Bastille said quietly. Luna shot him a glare as they left.

"No," She said. "You will be the one regretting this."

After delivering her last message to the human major, Luna hurried out of the tent to catch up to the others. No words were spoken until they had crossed the no-man's land between the two encampments, and it was only broken by the sudden assault of sound that greeted them from when the gates allowed them access. Ace and Flash were there waiting on them, the former in a tall, pink top hat. "Bout time you guys got back!" He said with a grin.

"What in the world is going on…" Chrys asked, looking around. It was as if a huge block party had moved into the castle, the grounds covered with partying Equestrians enjoying themselves and having fun. A large stage stood in the center, with Lyra, Vinyl and Octavia playing upbeat music while Sweetie Bell sung. "What is all of this?"

"This is Pinkie's doing," Flash said. "You know any party that happens is usually her fault."

Tyr looked around at the rambunctious goings-on. He spotted the six Elements of Harmony off to one side, laughing and talking and just enjoying themselves, just like so many other people. When they spotted him looking, they motioned for him to join them. "Perhaps we can wait until tomorrow to worry," Tyr said.

"I suppose…" Celestia said, smiling. "Pinkie put on a wonderful show."

"So we revel tonight and kill tomorrow?" Chrys said. She gave a feral grin. "I think I can get behind that sort of policy."

"Don't overdo it, Chrissy," Tyr warned. His Changeling simply smiled and hugged his arm.

As Tyr went over to join his friends, Luna went to stand beside her sister. "…So we go to war, hm, sister?" Luna murmured.

Celestia looked over at her younger sister. Luna looked pensive, almost worried. She smiled and gently patted her head. "We will be fine, Lulu. These humans see us as weak, and we will prove them wrong. As long as we stand together."

"…You're right." Luna smiled. "As long as we are together, there is no foe we cannot overcome."

"Correct. Now, go join them."

"You're not coming?"

"I will join later. Go on."

"…Very well." Luna went over to the group, quickly pulled into a hug by her husband. Celestia watched the smile grow on her sister's face for just a minute before going into the keep. She passed by many party-goers enjoying a change of pace before she finally reached a room to herself. She let out a deep breath.

"…Jehu Striate."

She braced herself, ready for the man to suddenly appear and startle her. Instead, a small piece of paper appeared, gently floating to the floor. She frowned, picked it up, and unfolded it. A single word was written on it in bright, glowing purple letters.

-Sorry-

Celestia sighed. It seems they were truly on their own this time.

* * *

 **Oh dear. Jehu isn't showing up this time around? Things must be dire indeed. But I think the Equestrians, as long as they stand united, can face any threat.**

 **Although Bastille is hinting that he has something up his sleeve...**

 **As usual, Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, which I promise will be intense. The Library Accepts all, so make sure you've got a sturdy chair to sit on when the week rolls by once more.**

 **"Good Luck, Commander. We will be watching."**


	45. Chapter 44: Where Angels Fear to Tread

**Salutations, dear readers! Another week has gone by. Now, I will apologize in advance for the length of this chapter, it is a bit short. But I've been working at a landscaping job, and that is both mentally and physically tiring. But although this chapter is short, it is heavy on action.**

 **DragonLord Ryukizoku: I am updating weekly, as best as I am able. You do have a good point, but you must remember Tyr is human. Somewhat. I think. Anyway, First of all, Tyr can only be 'recharged' by those he has a close connection to, primarily Luna and Chrys. Not such a big issue, as Luna is an Alicorn and Chrys is a Changeling, whose magical reserves are only limited by the love she receives. Although Sherry could count as well, since she is an Alicorn herself now. On that point, with those three supplying him with magic, he could, in fact, hold off for quite some time. However, Tyr burns through magic that is not his own much faster than his own magic, which could be countered by them simply doing it in turns. Thus, you are correct. Events will affect this, however.**

 **Secondly, Tyr's constructs are not indestructible. A strong enough force of any kind (magical or physical) could dissipate them. Although the constructs do increase in toughness if Tyr is actively focusing on them. And that focus is indeed affected by distance. Think of it this way-In Total war, you have the zoom function. You can be up close and see all the sword slashes and spear thrusts, or you can be so far away it just looks like two masses of colors mashed up against each other. Tyr's fine motor control with his constructs diminishes the further away he is. Ideally, he leads his constructs from among them, or the front... like a pack leader.**

 **Thirdly, on the subject of maintaining a small number. In that case, numbers would win out over quality. Tyr still needs to keep focus on each construct, and each one can only really move so quickly or attack as effectively. You are right though, given time, Tyr could easily fend off an army alone. As long as he wasn't worried about protecting others...**

 **and Finally, you are right, the Equestrians won't let Tyr fight alone. Power of working together and whatnot. Plus, Fenrir prefers leading from the front. It befits an Alpha, you know.**

 **Whew! that was a thing. I do enjoy responding to your comments though! :D**

 **theflammablefiredragon: unfortunately, no super soldiers (yet). Nanna hasn't had enough time with the Gordian Knot to get anything crazy like that. she does have a trick up her sleeve though. And there will be explosions. Not a lot now, but if you wait like... two more weeks, you will have a battle worth rereading. And explosions. Beautiful, wondrous explosions.**

 **Chaddmychal: Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

 **PBJFanfiction: Huh. Divergent you say? Methinks I need to check on that... and hey, as long as the blood flows, Khorne is happy.**

 **and... Chapter time!**

* * *

Chapter 44: Where Angels Fear to Tread

"TYR!"

Tyr shot awake to the sound of gunfire and yelling. Grace was over him, shaking him to wakefulness. He sat up, glancing out the window. It was early morning, but still dark. Confusion on his face, he turned to his friend. "Grace…? What the hell?"

"They're attacking!" She said, shoving his clothes and cloak into his arms. "Get dressed!"

Tyr felt a chill in his veins as he hurried and got dressed. They were attacking already? He shook his head. There was no reason for them to wait, and attacking quickly was to their advantage. And after the crazy night they had had the night before, they would assume that the Equestrians were too tired to fight back. But that would be where they were wrong. All the fighting capable Equestrians had been told to keep the crazy to a minimum, and as Grace and Tyr made it out into the yard they were greeted by several armed—but nervous—guards. "Lunar Knights! Thank goodness you're here!"

"What's the situation?" Tyr asked, finally pulling on his cloak. Fenrir was sheathed on his back, and Chrys had joined them just as they exited.

"Surprise attack," The sentry explained. Tyr mentally slapped himself for asking such an obvious question. HE glanced around, noticing a distinct lack of a massive pink barrier around the castle. "…Where the hell is Shining?"

"Still asleep," Cadance called out, flying over.

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Well, get to the wall and keep them off."

"Yes sir!"

As the sentries and Cadance rushed off, Grace moved up beside Tyr. "What should we do?"

"We should help, obviously," Tyr said. "Just be careful."

"Same to you!"

They parted ways then, Tyr and Chrys moving to one section of the wall while Grace went to the other. The walls were alight with the light from magic and gunfire and resounded with the shouts of combatants from either side—the Equestrians and humans coming against one another in brutal combat. It was something that Tyr had never seen before, but with the Pack at his back, he himself could feel the pull to fight. And it wouldn't be long he could see, as a set of grappling hooks came shooting up to dig into the stone of the wall. He unsheathed Fenrir just as the first of the masked soldiers in black reached the top.

"Back down with you!" He roared, sword changing into a double headed axe as he swept the man from the parapet. He heard the man hit the ground, but put the noise in the back of his mind as the next few lines came sailing up. "Everyone! Focus on keeping them off the walls!"

The nearby Equestrians, armed with blades forged by their resident dragon-smith, rallied to him. As the humans scaled the wall, they were met with grim determination and steely gazes. But gunfire from below clipped a few, and some were even killed. Forcing his mouth into a hard line, Tyr summoned his constructs to his aid, lining them along the wall to guard his allies. A cheer went up. "They're not taking this wall!" A voice nearby cried.

Tyr turned slightly as a pair of boots thudded behind him. Somehow, the soldiers were still finding gaps along the wall to clamber up, and were forcing their way through his constructs through sheer numbers. He had been in the middle of a rifle-sword duel, fighting a distressed soldier, and even then his attention was focused on keeping his constructs active. The newly arrived soldier spun to face him, rifle raised to shoot. Just as he got a line, Chrys dropped onto him, claws stabbing into his neck before ripping outward in a spray of gore. Chrys herself looked elated, blood streaking her face and a wild light in her eyes. "Someone looks happy," Tyr said softly, backhanding a soldier before impaling the one he had been fighting.

"Of course, Master!" Chrys said with a giggle. She leapt off her victim into another soldier, ripping a hole into his side before dashing to her next. "Killing in the name of one's Master is all this one ever wanted!"

Tyr frowned just a bit as Chrys slashed her way across the wall, laughing gleefully as she went. Must be tough being an empath in a warzone, he figured. Feeling all of that anger, rage, and fear turned his Changeling into a killing machine. Well, she was still his, so he had to love her regardless, right? Just as he had that thought, a wave of dark hued magic swept across the wall.

"Such insolence from these beings," A regal voice declared. "Attacking this castle during _my_ night. And on top of that, making enough noise to wake my children!"

A shockwave of magical force blew away a group of soldiers as the Princess of Dreams descended upon the battle. With her wings spread wide and magic gathered in her hands, she was truly a terrifying sight as she landed. "Bout time you got here, princess," Tyr said. As Luna landed beside him, he could see golden and violet light erupt from the other side of the castle. Seems the Princesses were out in force.

"I had to get our little ones to go back to sleep," Luna complained. "They woke up from all the noise! Do any of you realize how much trouble it was to get those two to fall asleep in the first place!?" She directed the question at the few remaining soldiers on the wall. They flinched back at the anger in her voice.

"I doubt they do," Chrys said, dropping a corpse she had been holding.

"Of course not. And I had to soundproof the room they were in just so they would stop crying!" Luna scowled. A thought occurred to her then, and she looked over the humans nearby. "Although… I do have a good outlet for my anger now."

-x-

"You called, Major?" Nanna asked, entering the command tent. She stifled a yawn, as she had been awoken from her sleep. The lights of the battle were visible even from here. The bright blue aura of Luna was visible, along with the bright flashes of ice as many soldiers were sent falling to their deaths. Already the vast majority were switching to simply shooting from the ground. But Tyr's shield bearers were easily weathering the attack, tinges of green and blue mixing with the silver.

"Are the Angels ready?" Bastille asked shortly. Nanna blinked in surprise.

"I… uh…. They can be readied in a minute."

"Good. Get them ready." He glanced back just as Nanna made a short movement across a small PDA she had. "…That's all it took?"

"The Knot gives us a tactical advantage in communication," Nanna explained, reaching into the pocket of her lab coat. She pulled out a round object that looked like a bunch of wires twisted together that glowed a soft blue. She smiled. "With all the tech it's allowed us to build…"

"Speaking of technology, is the AMP ready?"

"The Anti-Magic Pulse? Um… yes, it is. But the range is quite short, so—"

"Activate it. We can't make any progress this way, as long as they're using magic." He gestured to the magical barriers that were repulsing the men attacking. Even from this distance they could make out the fearsome might of Luna's magic brought to bear against the enemies of Equestria. The hastily formed gun lines outside the castle were fragmenting rapidly, and now even the bright pink shield of Shining Armor's was rising up. "We need them neutralized."

"I… I guess we can. We just need to expose the core so it doesn't over heat."

"Is that risky?"

"Only if someone hits it."

"Good. Do it."

Nanna worked at her PDA for a moment. They moved outside the tent just as a large cylindrical object began to open up. It was being tended to by a half dozen other scientists, all checking readings on PDA's. A glowing core covered in a spider web of wires rose from inside. It radiated with power, and the Gordian Knot in Nanna's hand glowed in response. "Nanna Hymir, clearance code: 0009384T. Activate the Anti-Magic Pulse Generator!"

The generator pulsed once, and then a beam of bright blue light shot into the sky before expanding outwards to envelop the area.

-x-

"What the hell is that?" Grace murmured, looking up into the sky. She was in the middle of healing a fallen Equestrian as the beam shot off into the night sky. As the aura fell over them, she felt something cold run through her body.

Her magic was cut off.

A terrible feeling of pain shot through her then and she collapsed, crying out in anguish. Suddenly pain shot through her head, as if someone was stabbing something right into her brain.

"The Princess!" The cry from someone nearby caught her attention, and she looked up to see the unconscious form of Luna cradled in Tyr's arms. The distressed man was looking around him in shock as many other Equestrians began to collapse from unknown sources. A thud drew her attention away. It was Rainbow Dash, crash landing beside her.

"Augh, dammit!" She complained, struggling to rise. "My wings… my wings just stopped working!"

To the horror of those still able to move, more and more Pegasii began to fall from the sky, with the Unicorns collapsing alongside the former Earth Ponies. Every single Equestrian was falling to the ground. The only one still able to move was Tyr—everyone else was paralyzed. "What is happening…?"

"It's an Anti-Magic weapon," Chrys hissed, herself unable to move. "Master… why are you unaffected?"

"Because that was Order Magic," Fenrir said, shifting from sword to girl. "It nullifies all magic within anyone not belonging to Chaos or Order."

Tyr blinked. "So only I wasn't affected?" He didn't wait for an answer, for just looking around gave him that. Equestrians all around him were in various levels of pain, with Unicorns suffering the most. "So this is the power of order…"

"Master!" Chrys had managed to pull herself to the edge of the wall and was now looking over it. "Those mechanical monstrosities are on their way again. And there seems to be quite a few of them."

Tyr laid Luna down gently on the ground, moving to the edge of the wall. Indeed, Nanna's Angels were marching up to the castle, about a dozen of them. With their magic, the Equestrians wouldn't have had a difficult time handling them. As they were now, they had no chance. Only he was able to fight them. And it definitely wasn't good odds. "…Damn."

"Master?"

"I've got to go."

The Changeling gaped. "Go? As in down there!?"

"You can just hold them from the walls, right?" Rainbow asked, forcing herself into a seated position. Even that bit of effort seemed to cause her some discomfort. But Tyr simply shook his head.

"I can't focus on everywhere at once," Tyr said, glancing back at the approaching Angels. "And I'm going to need to focus to kill even one of them, and I can't risk them getting up here and killing those who are defenseless."

"Wait, Tyr!" Grace called out. "You can't fight all of them on your own!"

"I don't have to," Tyr replied with a smirk, and Fenrir hopped up onto his shoulder. The wolf-spirit grinned.

"The Pack never lets our Alpha go alone!" She declared victoriously.

The two of them leapt off of the wall, Tyr managing to land gently in front of the approaching metal warriors. With one flourish of his arm, lines of silver soldiers materialized between them. The battlefield was silent. The Angels had stopped walking, and Tyr did not move. The impasse continued for several minutes before a single voice broke the silence. "Little Brother?"

Tyr glanced past the Angels to see his sister holding a megaphone. Beside her stood the impassive Bastille. His eyes seemed particularly hostile. "…Nanna?"

"Stop this, little brother!" Nanna pleaded. "You can't win this fight! With the AMP deployed, you're alone in this!"

Tyr glanced over the Angels. They had fanned out around him in a semi-circle, weapons ready. He turned slightly back to the walls, where he could see the faces of many of the Equestrians watching the standoff. They had hope on their faces, some mixed with despair and fear. They were looking to see how their single human knight would fare in impossible odds. He sighed. He could feel the weight on his shoulders, but he simply gave Fenrir a mental command to hop down. "I'm not alone. Not as long as my friends are with me." He reached up to touch his amulet, the feelings of his friends giving him comfort.

"Brother, please! Since the Equestrians use natural magic, they will not be able to help you!"

"I told you once that I'm not going to abandon them," Tyr replied evenly. Fenrir transformed back into her sword form for her Alpha to wield. He let his magic come to life. "I'm not going to budge."

"Kill him then," Bastille ordered. "And then bring me the Princesses!"

The Angels charged forward. Tyr raised his sword and rushed to meet them, scattering constructs as he did so. With sufficient numbers, he could wear them down and eventually win. But after fighting for a time already, he was beginning to feel his limits coming up again. And without Luna or Chrys to help him, he'd run through his magical reserves quickly. He grit his teeth. This was going to be rough. He blocked the expectant gunfire with a wall of shields, and used another to block a charge. Tucking into a roll, he avoided a knife slash at his throat, jumping to his feet to slash at a passing Angel. The blade bit into the metal but drew no blood. Tyr was rewarded with a brutal backhand for his effort. He was sent flying and landed hard. Pain rattled all the way up his spine.

[Get up, Alpha!]

Staying on the move was his best option against the Angels. Staying still and focusing on his constructs would end up getting him killed. He jumped up and parried a knife thrust, sliding aside and angling his blade for his opponent's throat. Metal clanged off metal, and he was sent sprawling again.

[Alpha, get up!]

Tyr struggled to rise again, ordering his soldiers to swarm. One Angel broke through the attack, firing his weapon at him. One bullet hit him in the chest but was absorbed by his armor, while the other pierced him in the leg. A trio of spearmen forced the Angel to back off as the magic spears pierced his armor. Tyr dropped to one knee. "Damn it!" He hissed.

[Alpha, you need me! You must speak my name!]

"I say your name all the time, Fenrir!" Tyr roared, letting the sword transform into a battle axe and cleaving into the arm of an Angel. He got lucky and drew blood, but another Angel grabbed him from behind. They tossed him off and booted him in the stomach. Tyr was sent to the ground once more. As he got up, he spit up blood. With augmented strength, that kick had probably shattered a rib or two.

[Not that name. My Concept Name!]

"What the hell is that?"

[You know it! Simply speak it, and invoke my power!]

"Come on Tyr!" Tyr paused and looked to the walls. Rainbow Dash had propped herself up on the wall, and was waving her arm. "You can take those bastards!"

"Master, you can win!" Chrys agreed, pushing herself up. Grace was beside her, nodding in agreement. As the combatants below them looked, every Equestrian that could move was at the walls, cheering for him. They had faith in him to win. They believed that he could do it.

"Do not give up, Tyr!"

"Come on, you can win!"

"You can do it!"

[Alpha!] Fenrir's voice was insistent, loud enough in his mind to override the cacophony of voices behind him. The Angels were closing in on the wounded man, and she was becoming almost desperate. [You know my Concept! What happens when a pack of wolves sink their fangs into their prey?]

It clicked then. He felt it become knowledge almost as if he had known it all along. Magic rippled along him as he felt the power behind the word flow through him. It was no wonder then that the single word slipped off his lips as easy as breathing.

" _Carnage_ ," Tyr murmured.

[YES!] Magic exploded from Tyr's arms, a violent mix of bright purple and silver. The man cried out in both surprise and pain as the wolf-spirit yelled out in exultation and magic surged from his body. The Angels backed up as Tyr was consumed by the magical torrent.

"What is he doing?" Bastille demanded, turning to Nanna. The female scientist was working furiously at her PDA, and almost didn't hear him. He grabbed her shoulder roughly, and almost jumped in surprise at the horror on the woman's face.

"Wait… his… his magic is not the same as the Equestrians, so there's no surprise the AMP didn't work… But why this sudden surge of—Wait!"

"What?"

"The Knot is responding!" Nanna exclaimed. Indeed, the twisted artifact was glowing brightly like a small star. "Tyr's magic… It's… it's like its counter to the magic of the Knot!"

The magical overflow ceased suddenly, and they could see again. Tyr stood in the same spot, but the man was changed. Metal gauntlets ending in wicked claws ran from his hands up to his shoulders, and a silver fur cloak hung from his shoulders. Silver wolves were gathered about his feet. Bastille didn't look surprised or confused. Only irritated. "What the hell…?"

Tyr glanced at his hands. "Claws…?"

[A symbol of my power, Alpha. But now, a proper weapon for you] A longsword of pure ice formed in Tyr's hand, the guard being shaped like the mouth of a snarling wolf. He found Fenrir's name etched along the blade. [Now! We go to war!]

Tyr could feel the newfound power coursing through his limbs, and grasped his new sword grimly. There was new magic in his hands, new spells to use in this battle. He smiled. "Echo."

He rushed forward, a construct just like him appearing where he was and mimicking his movements. To his own and his enemies surprise, he moved with greater speed than before. He leapt into them, his shadow mimicking his movements and forcing them to weather his attacks twice. For each blow he struck, another hit the same place a second later. "He's so fast!" One of the Angels cried as the silver eyed man dashed through them.

Tyr made a sharp turn and leapt onto the back of one of the heavy Angels, clinging to the oversized back unit. His clone vanished, but a horde of mounted constructs came riding through "Hello there," He said with a grin.

"Get off of there!" Other Angels moved to help their ally, but the riders came riding back through to stop them.

"In a second." Tyr looked down at the pack, and found himself able to see every working piece in it. With a triumphant laugh, he shoved his clawed hand into the backpack. Metal sheared apart before his claws, and he grasped blindly into the inside.

"What are you doing?"

"Screwing with my sister's stuff. She could never build anything I couldn't take apart!" He tugged for a moment before ripping out a bundle of wires. Warning lights began to go off all over the Angel's armor. "Hah! Seems it didn't like that."

Bastille and Nanna watched in horror. "He's taking it apart?" Nanna whispered in shock.

"How does he know how to do that!?" Bastille demanded.

"I don't know! He shouldn't be able to! Unless… unless whatever that magical surge was gave him advanced perception!"

Tyr leapt clear of the Angel, tossing the wires aside as he did so. The warning lights began to flicker even faster, and before anyone could blink, the back unit exploded. The blast killed the man inside the suit instantly. The other Angels stared in mute shock at the charred remains of their comrade. "Well then…" Tyr murmured, hefting his frost blade. He had a weak point to target now.

"Kill him!" The lead Angel called. Guns snapped up.

"Get ready, angels!" Tyr called, magic wolves materializing in droves to assist their Alpha. "The Pack is here to rip your wings off!"

Magic wolves attacked the mechanical angels in a terrifying display of magic versus technology. Gunfire came rippling forward, but each wolf moved like liquid, slipping through their lines of fire. The man himself kept a shield up the whole time that absorbed any attacks. Under Tyr's command, the wolves targeted the back units of the Angels, tearing out wiring and forcing the units to overload and explode. Some even managed to sink their fangs into the wearers of the suits, ripping them bodily from their armaments. A manic grin was on Tyr's face as he watched his Pack howl in triumph over each fallen enemy. Nanna and Bastille were forced to watch as their Angels were torn apart; each was brought down, screaming and kicking as the wolves tore them into bloody corpses. "This is… impossible," Nanna murmured. "The Angels… they can't lose…"

"It seems your super soldiers are not as effective as you thought," Bastille said, gritting his teeth. "Because your brother has killed them all."

"I…!"

[Master] Tyr felt the thoughts of this Changeling reach him, although they were strained. She must have been using what little magical energy she still had to contact him. [I know what they are using to stifle our magic. It is that glowing thing in their camp]

Tyr looked and saw what Chrys was speaking about. "I got it." A massive ballista of silver magic materialized beside him. He could see the shock and realization on his sister's face. "FIRE!"

The ballista bolt was released, and sailed across the open area and smashed right into the AMP. The exposed core shattered on impact, explosive force throwing anyone nearby to the ground. The blue field dissipated, and a weak but relieved cheer came up from the castle. Nanna was the first to her feet, fear on her face. She ran to the machine, scrabbling in the ground for the shards of the machine. "No! The AMP core!"

Stillness fell over the field, Tyr standing amongst his snarling wolves while Bastille simply stared back impassively. The silver eyed man smiled slightly, raised his sword, and the wolves around him howled in victory.

"That is enough from your infernal machine!" Tyr glanced over slightly as Twilight appeared beside him. She was covered in a few scratches and scrapes, but other than that she was fine. Her balance was a bit off though, no doubt from recovering her magic just a moment ago. "Now that it is gone, give up this fight!"

"Tyr…" Nanna began. "Brother, please…"

Tyr was silent, hearing Chrys and Luna join him. Rainbow Dash flew over as well, determination on her face. He glanced around the battlefield. Bodies littered the ground, along with the charred remains of the Angels. "Let this be a warning," Tyr said loudly, addressing the remaining soldiers. They cringed at the sound of his voice. "You will _not_ take this castle. You will be refused at every turn, stopped at every attempt, and you will die trying to take those walls."

"You can't hold out forever, Tyr!" Bastille said. He strode forward. "I have not yet brought everything to bear against you!"

"Then do it!" Tyr shot back. The ferocity of the wolves was still in him. "The Pack will enjoy feeding on your corpse!"

"Come, Master," Chrys said softly. She tugged on his arm. "Let us go back into the castle."

"She has a point, beloved," Luna said, moving to his other side. "You have done enough for now."

Tyr smiled softly, and placed his arm around Luna's shoulder. "…Yeah. You're right."

They turned to walk back to the castle. They made it halfway before Tyr slumped up against his wife, unconscious. The sword, gauntlets and cloak vanished into silver mist as he lost focus on them. Luna didn't react, simply keeping him upright as Chrys got to his other side to support him.

"Is he okay?" Twilight asked, a bit worried.

Rainbow flew down a little lower to look as well. Even she looked surprised at seeing Tyr collapse like that. "He isn't…?" She began quietly, but Chrys shook her head.

"He is simply resting," the Changeling said. "The magic he used has exhausted his body. He simply needs time to recover."

The Princess of Dreams touched her lover's forehead, and a small smile grew on his face. "Sweet dreams, my Prince. You deserve it." She kissed his cheek gently.

As the Equestrians carried their knight back into the castle, Bastille confronted an almost hysteric Nanna as she tried to collect the scraps of the AMP core. "So what now, Nanna Hymir?" The man said. His hand was on his sword, and his eyes were narrowed in frustration. "No more tricks?"

Nanna paused in her collection of the dull blue shards. She didn't look up at him, instead simply speaking up in a half whisper. " _Ubi angeli timere vocem calcantium abstuli_."

"What is that? Latin?"

"Yes. It means 'Where Angels Fear to Tread'. I'm done, Bastille."

"Done?"

"This place is death!" Nanna screamed at him, jumping to her feet. To his credit, the man didn't jump in surprise, only raising one eyebrow at the outburst. "Everything I brought here has been destroyed! All my men—my Angels—are dead! The AMP is destroyed! My own brother hates me…! I no longer want to do anything with this!"

"…Very well. Leave. I'll handle this myself."

Nanna began to walk past him, pausing a couple steps away. "…Just remember something, Bastille."

Bastille turned slightly to look at her. "What?"

"It's not in my brother's nature to surrender. If he has to, he will sacrifice everything for those people."

She left, leaving Bastille standing by himself. A soldier came up to him. "Sir? What… what should we do? The men are considering deserting…"

"Bring any deserters to me," Bastille said after a moment of thought. His eyes glowed an almost unnatural blue. HE glanced at the soldier, whose eyes widened, then closed slightly. Then they began to glow as well. "And then round up all the men. I will speak to them, and then we will continue the siege. Our reinforcements will arrive soon."

* * *

 **Who, or what, is Bastille? I mean, I know, but you gotta wait. Sorry!**

 **And this is normal for a siege. A night skirmish, test the defenders... before the big guns roll in. And Bastille has a couple full stacks coming up.**

 **...Ugh. I need to chill with all the Rome 2 I've been playing...**

 **Anyway, Read, Review, and Return for the next chapter, which will be a bit less bloody and probably a lot more emotional.**

 **And then more blood.**

 **BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!**

 ***cough* ...Excuse me.**


	46. Chapter 45: Hope

**Greetings again, dear readers. I hope the wait was worth it. This chapter might be one of the longest I've written. I hope you enjoy. :D**

 **Chaddmychal: Glad you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Chaos Spirits do that kinda thing. I'm not gonna go all DBZ with multiple transformations though. Since they all embody a 'concept', that aspect of their personality is stronger than any physical or magical construct.**

 **Fern of the Clouds: Well said. However... Tyr doesn't have fangs... yet. ;) And I'm pretty sure more heads will roll soon enough.**

 **0\. King Nothing.0: I have to admit, writing the part when Tyr leaps on the back of the EXO made me think of Titanfall too.**

 **Yannick: Soon my friend. Soon.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: Now you get me. :D And any wolf is tired after a stressful hunt you know. Nanna and Tyr have essentially placed themselves on opposite sides, but maybe the bond between them will be repaired with time? Who knows...**

 **PBJ: You haven't seen anything yet, my friend.**

 **And that does it! Thanks as usual for reading, and I won't delay you any longer! Except just to say I was really hoping to hit 100 reviews before this post. I wanted to do a shoutout. :D**

* * *

Chapter 45: Hope

"How is he doing?"

"He's doing much better."

"Will he wake soon?"

"He exerted himself quite a bit the other day. We need to let him rest, darling."

"I reckon he's welcome ta sleep as long as he wants, after he went all hero like."

"I agree with you. Although I want him to wake up because this is too reminiscent of that other time…"

"I agree with you there."

"Well, at least this time he's not wounded, right?"

"Too seriously is the operative word, darling…"

"I suppose that's fair."

Tyr scrunched up his nose. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep that well with all of you standing over me talking."

"Tyr!" The man snapped his eyes open as almost a dozen voices all cried out his name, and a veritable rainbow collapsed on him. As he finally regained all of his sight, he saw the arms of his friends wrapped around him tightly. The worry seemed to melt off of them, and he could feel the happiness there.

"Hey guys," He replied quietly, smiling and stroking someone's pink hair. Judging from the feel of it and the sudden happy thoughts from the girl in question, he figured it was Fluttershy. He noticed a particular shock of red hair was absent, and looked up to see Grace standing against the wall. "Grace?"

"Sorry I'm not all leaping on you," She said with a weary smile. "I've been working all day and I'm exhausted."

Tyr simply grinned. "It's alright. Go get some sleep."

"Yes sir." She left the room then, yawning as she did so. Tyr was then assaulted by a pair of lips and a feeling of worry mixed with relief that could belong to no one but Luna. The dark feathers that drifted in front of his vision gave it away too.

"Ah, Princess!" Rarity's voice protested.

"Save it," Luna said, pulling back a bit. Her eyes fixed on Tyr's. "Beloved… I am so glad you are alright."

"I apologize for overdoing it," Tyr replied with a chuckle. All his friends finally let go of him and backed up a bit, only Luna remaining seated by his side.

Rainbow scoffed. "Overdoing it? Dude, that was AWESOME!" She exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Yeah, RD's right," Applejack agreed. There was pride in her eyes. "You sure did show those guys what for the other night."

"I have to admit," Twilight said with a weak smile. "I'm not an expert on fighting, but you made it look easy against those Angels."

"Yeah!" Pinkie bounced up. "Tyr was all awesome and heroic and super scary all at the same time! Well, more scary to the other side, you know with the wolves and stuff. I'm not good with big doggies like that though, but with Tyr they aren't that scary! He really—"

"I think that's good enough, Pinkie-winkle," Rarity said, hand snapping out and covering her girlfriend's mouth. She smiled apologetically at Tyr. "Sorry darling. But Pinkie is right—you did cut quite the dashing figure out there."

"I kinda just… acted," Tyr admitted, shrugging. "For some parts I think Fenrir was guiding me."

"I did not give you that much guidance, Alpha," A soft, yet sultry voice said. Everyone in the room paused and looked to the source of the voice. Tyr hadn't been paying attention when he looked around, plus his friends were blocking his view. But he now saw the owner of the voice. A tall, slender woman with tanned skin and wild silver hair was seated in a nearby chair, a smile on her face. Well-built and obviously strong, she looked almost masculine. She looked out of place, as if she would look much better in a dimly lit feasting hall than the stone walls of a castle infirmary. Tyr didn't have to think too hard to know that it was Fenrir.

"You look different," He told her with a grin. He was amused to see her ears—still atop her head—twitch. "Growth spurt?"

"You spoke my Concept Name and invoked my power," Fenrir said, crossing her legs. "At that point, my full power became yours. At the same time, I fully woke up. This is my awakened form."

"I reckon I would a been way more impressed if y'all had looked like this from the start," Applejack teased. Fenrir shot her a dark look.

"…I suppose so."

"So what does it mean now that Tyr can use all your powers?" Twilight asked. Tyr had to laugh inwardly—the librarian would never pass up an opportunity to learn something new.

"I do not need to be his blade any longer," Fenrir pointed out. She held out her hands, and the frost sword Tyr had been using materialized. "His weapons will come to him whenever he needs them. My assistance will only be required for more powerful spells."

The blade vanished. Tyr frowned. "I see."

"However, now that our contract is complete, you now must incur the downside to our partnership."

"Downside?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Fenrir nodded.

"For every contract made, there are both benefits and downsides. In Alpha's case, the benefit is the loyalty and obedience of the Pack. The downside is that you will derive no taste from meat."

Tyr smirked. "From that feeling of irritation, I believe you figured it doesn't affect me since I don't eat meat."

Fenrir scowled, but then her face softened and she shrugged. "Not everyone has to suffer their curse. Most simply embrace it, like the Arbiter and his family."

Rainbow frowned. "Arbiter? Who the heck is that?"

"You all do not know? It is Jehu Striate. He is the Arbiter of Chaos."

"That sounds frightening," Fluttershy murmured.

Celestia entered the room then, a soft smile on her face. "Do not worry. From what I know of the man, he means us no harm."

"Sister…" Luna looked over at the Princess of the Sun.

"It's alright, Lulu. I have simply come to check up on our heroic knight. How are you feeling, Tyr?"

"I'm… alright I guess," Tyr offered. In truth, he still felt exhausted. The exertion of his magic had left him drained. "Tired though. Is it always like that when you use a lot of magic?"

"I don't know about Princess Celestia or Luna," Twilight offered, casting a glance at her former mentor, "But whenever I use a lot of magic in a short span of time, it leaves me tired out."

Tyr nodded. "I feel like I just ran several miles. On top of getting knocked around by a professional boxer."

"They did knock you around pretty badly," Applejack agreed. She poked at the numerous bandages that covered the man's body. "I'm just surprised y'all are still in one piece, sugarcube."

"A tie to Chaos leaves the body quite… resilient," Fenrir offered.

"Should Chrys or I give you some of our magic?" Luna asked softly.

Fenrir shook her head. "That would be unwise. He will recover faster and more naturally if he simply waits for his own magical energy to regenerate."

"…Very well." Luna pouted a little, and Tyr rubbed her hand comfortingly.

"So we got Papa Wolf Tyr in our corner," Rainbow said with an appreciative nod. "Those humans out there won't be getting in here to us any time soon!"

"That's a bit of a problem," Celestia said. Everyone turned expectant eyes to the older princess. "There are more of them now."

Tyr felt a chill run down his spine. He sat up. "…How many?"

"…We lost count after three hundred."

"Three hundred soldiers?" Fluttershy covered her mouth. "Oh my…"

"At least," Rainbow clarified. "I couldn't keep count, especially after they started shooting at me."

"And our own numbers continue to drop," Luna said. She bit her lip. "Can we truly hold this castle now…?"

"We have to!" Pinkie protested. "There's a lot of people here that are counting on us!"

"We're already spread thin as it is, darling," Rarity offered. As they began to discuss without him, Tyr noticed something that didn't seem to make sense to him. For one, Rarity's usually elegantly styled hair and tail were a bit more ragged than he remembered, and she didn't have any make up on. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had bags under their eyes, and even Twilight looked like she hadn't had sleep in days. Only Pinkie and Fluttershy looked normal. And… their numbers were dropping?

"Hey… girls? How long was I out?" He asked softly.

They didn't seem to want to answer right away, but Fenrir quickly supplied the answer for her Alpha. "You were unconscious for two days, Alpha."

"Two days…?" He trailed off, looking around at his friends. "What happened while I was out?"

"Bastille has called up reinforcements," Celestia said. "From what I have been told, he has a lot more heavy weapons and armor. And more men, as I said earlier. Our wounded are being treated by Grace and her team, but there is only so much they can do. Ah, Cadance and Shining Armor are holding the defense together, however. Armor's barrier spell has kept us safe for right now."

"And our strength?"

Luna immediately began to protest. "Beloved, you're still weak. You don't need to do this right now…"

Tyr silenced her with one gentle hand against her cheek. "Moon. Of course I have to do this. I can't simply sit around and do nothing."

"But Tyr…!"

"What if they have another generator like the other day?" Tyr asked pointedly.

"Tyr is the only one who can fight if that's the case," Twilight pointed out. "He was the only one unaffected by that Anti-magic device."

"So we do need him on the front lines, as it were," Rarity agreed.

Luna sighed. "I know, I just… I don't want him to go charging off still weak."

"And we still don't have any way of actually winning," Rainbow pointed out quietly.

There was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to see Sherry and Hope standing there, the former with a frown on her face. "Um… everyone? I think I may have a solution to our problem."

"You do?" Twilight frowned. "What is it?"

Sherry was silent for a moment, looking into the eyes of everyone present. They all waited for her to speak, and when she did they all felt their jaws fall open in shock. "I think… I think I may be able to send us home."

-x-

They had returned to one of the castle's more secluded rooms in order to have this discussion. Everyone was present, from the Elements of Harmony, the Princesses, to the four Royal Knights. Sherry was at the front of the group, nervousness on her face. Hope gently touched her shoulder. She gave her a short nod, as if to reassure her friend that what she was about to say was good. Sherry let out a deep breath, but before she could speak, Rainbow did. "Are you gonna tell us or what?" She demanded.

"Hold your peace, Rainbow Dash," Luna warned. "Obviously, what young Sherry wishes to tell us is troubling for her as well."

"Well… I guess…" The rainbow haired girl huffed. "But we're wasting time. We don't know when they're going to attack again!"

"Come on Dashie," Ace said comfortingly, rubbing his hand along her back. "Just give her a minute."

"Fine…"

Fluttershy gave Sherry a comforting smile. "Just take your time."

Sherry nodded. "Right. Thank you, Fluttershy. So as I said earlier, I think I figured out a way to send us home."

"And how is that?" Twilight asked. "I've searched through every book I could find, and anything I see is just myth or speculation. Only that one book gave me any answers, but I can't open a way for us to get home."

"What did you have in mind?" Cadance asked, looking at the newly declared princess.

"The Rubrik," Sherry replied, holding up the object in question. "I don't remember how much everyone knows about it—"

"Nothing at all," Shining offered. Cadance elbowed him in the side so he'd be quiet. Sherry smiled and continued.

"But the Rubrik is essentially the remains of the spell Mr. Jehu and his family created to bring Aunt Celestia here. So… it's like a record of that spell."

"And how, pray tell, does that help us?" Rarity asked.

"I went into the Rubrik, remember? I know this thing almost inside and out. So that means, since the spell Mr. Jehu and his family made was to bring Equestrians to this world…"

"You found a way to reverse the spell," Tyr said, coming to the conclusion just as most of the others in the room did. Sherry nodded.

"Yes! I can reverse the spell, but I need the magical power of the other Alicorns."

"What would you need us for" Cadance asked.

"I know I've got magical power now, but I don't know how to use it. And the spell we need to cast requires a lot of power. We'd have to channel it for quite some time."

"There goes our heavy support," Ace murmured with a sigh. "Without the Princesses, we're at a serious disadvantage."

"How long would this spell take?" Celestia asked. Like her knight, she too was worried. Before the Anti-magic device had been used, it was the timely intervention of her sister and herself that prevented their enemies from taking the walls.

Sherry bit her lip. "I… I'm not completely sure. I know it'll take some time, but other than that…"

"So all we need to do is provide the power?" Luna asked. When Sherry nodded, she sighed. "Well, I suppose with Tyr's magic and Shining Armor's barrier, we can delay for a while…"

"I reckon we can handle it," Applejack asserted. "Plus… It'll be nice to get home after all of this."

"We get to go home!" Pinkie squealed happily. She bounced around the room. "We're going home! We're going home! Oh, I have to get started planning the return home party! It'll be kinda weird getting back used to a pony body though, but I'm sure it'll come back easily! And then we can have all fun once we're not fighting for our lives!"

"You're awfully excited," Grace pointed out with a chuckle.

"Of course! Oh! Although I have to plan two parties!"

"Two?" Twilight frowned. "Pinkie, why on earth would we need two parties?"

"Because I got to throw Tyr a 'Welcome to Equestria' party!" The room fell silent. Pinkie kept bouncing happily for a moment until she realized that no one else was sharing in her excitement. She slowed to a stop, whipping her head about to look at everyone. "Um… did I say something bad?"

"The spell…" Sherry swallowed hard. She couldn't meet her father's eyes. "The spell only works on Equestrians. Dad would… dad would be left behind."

There was silence. It was finally broken by Luna, who spoke one word. "…Unacceptable."

Her denial sparked the room into noise. "We can't leave Tyr behind!" Fluttershy protested quietly.

"I ain't too fond of leaving friends behind, partner!" Applejack snapped.

"How absurd! How could we just abandon him after all he's done for us?" Rarity frowned. "I couldn't bear to think of it!"

"But isn't this the only way to get out of this?" Twilight asked softly. "Believe me, I don't want to abandon Tyr either. But we'll all die if we stay."

Her friends fell silent again. "Buck this, I'm outta here," Rainbow said suddenly, getting up and walking to the door. She left without anyone else trying to stop her. Ace simply shook his head and walked out as well.

"I agree with Rainbow Dash," Luna said. "I would rather die here beside my beloved than leave him behind."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

All eyes turned to the quiet man as he stated that simple sentence. Luna turned to him, fear in her eyes. "But beloved!"

"No buts, Luna." It had been a while since he actually called her by name. It felt a little weird, and even the look on Luna's face showed how strange it was to her as well. "I said once before that if it would make you all safer, I'd rather you left. As much as it pains me to say it… I want you to do this spell."

"No! I refuse!" Luna rubbed at her eyes. She was beginning to cry. "I will not leave you here! Not after everything we've been through!"

"Don't you think I could say the same to you?"

Luna paused, eyes wide. "I… but… Beloved…"

"I know this is hard," Tyr continued, letting his eyes scan the room. "But believe me, I meant it when I said it. I'd rather you all went home to Equestria if it meant you'd be away from… this." He swept his arm towards the direction of where the waiting human force was. He didn't have to clarify—they all knew full well what waited for them on the other side of the walls. No one could speak. Luna curled up against Tyr, trying hard to keep her tears back.

Celestia finally spoke up. "Tyr… if we do this… there is a chance you will not see us or your children ever again."

The man was silent for just a moment. His eyes fell to his lap, and he spoke in a voice just shy of a whisper. "…I know."

"Tyr, you can't be considering this!" Rarity protested.

"Look Rarity, I don't want any of you to die just for me!" He turned to her. "Please, just… don't make this difficult."

"In the end, it comes down to us to do this," Cadance pointed out, gesturing to herself and the other Princesses. "…Should we vote on it?"

Applejack snorted. She obviously was upset about the whole thing, but didn't show it. "I reckon y'all should. Better than all a us arguing about it."

"I'm against it," Luna said immediately.

Sherry sighed. "I mean… I came up with it, so…"

"I agree with Aunt Luna," Cadance said softly. "Even if it's pointless… I can't really agree with leaving Tyr here."

"I believe we should use the spell," Twilight said. She avoided Luna's pointed glare. "I… Sorry."

"So I suppose it comes down to me, hm?" Celestia said thoughtfully as all the eyes in the room went to her. She took in the looks from everyone in the room. There were a few hopeful looks, and some forlorn ones. After a long minute of thought, she finally sighed. "…We shall do the spell."

"Sister!" Luna exclaimed, jumping up. Celestia held up a hand to silence her. The older princess's eyes were hard. Luna's protest died on her lips.

"We do this for our people, Lulu. As much as I would like for there to be a way to bring Tyr with us, there is none. I apologize, but this is what must be done."

Luna sat back hard in her seat. She leaned forward and rested her face in her hands. "I… I cannot believe this…"

"We should prepare for the spell," Sherry said softly. "Hope will be contributing as well."

"Hope help," Hope said softly, a bit oblivious to the emotions in the room.

Celestia nodded. "Very well. We should get started right away. "Everyone else, prepare for… anything."

There were a few nods and everyone but the six Alicorns left the room. Tyr gave Luna one last glance as he left, finding the cerulean eyes remorseful. The Princess of Dreams mouthed one last thing before he left.

I love you.

Tyr let a deep sigh escape his lips. His friends had already moved away, off to do whatever other tasks they had. As it may be the last time he'd get the chance, he decided to go find them and at least get one last conversation. Rainbow Dash might as well be first, as she had stormed out of the room. As he walked through the castle, he spotted the rainbow haired girl sitting out in the yard, looking out at the sky. She looked… pensive. For someone as brash and impulsive as her, it was a strange expression. He approached her quietly, the girl turning slightly to acknowledge him. "…Hey."

"Yo," He said, moving up beside her. "You alright?"

"No," She said bluntly. Tyr chuckled. "What?"

"I'd expect that sort of honesty from Applejack."

"Hardy har. But You can't tell me this doesn't bother you too."

Tyr let out a sigh and sat down beside her, looking up at the sky. He felt Rainbow's eyes on him as he prepared to speak. "…No, I can't say it doesn't. This is probably the most difficult situation I've ever been put in."

"Then why—"

"But you have to remember, Dash, that I'm one man. One man put into a situation way outside of my expertise."

Rainbow frowned and looked away. "…So you're fine with being left behind? You're okay with us abandoning you?"

"I don't think of it as you girls abandoning me," Tyr pointed out. "I don't want those men outside to kill or hurt any of you. And sending you all back to Equestria is the only way to do it."

"I know," Rainbow said quietly. "We don't have much of a chance to win. But… I really don't want to leave you behind, Tyr."

To her surprise, the man chuckled. "I know, Dash. Loyalty, right? It makes you feel like you're betraying me to leave me behind."

"Of course! And now Sherry—your own daughter, no less—is saying she wants to cast a spell to save everyone but you!"

"…Hey Dash. Mind answering a question for me?"

"What is it?" She asked warily.

"If you were forced to pick between saving Ace's life over Scootaloo's, who would you choose?"

Rainbow stared at him in horror. The life of her husband, or her adoptive daughter? That sort of choice was just like… the one Discord had given her. Unwinnable. "I… I wouldn't know how to choose… But that's something different!"

"Is it? It'll break your heart either way, so you have to make a tough decision. And this decision is one I've considered for a long time."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. Ever since the Scarecrows first attacked. That if there was any way to send you all home, I would do it in a heartbeat. And now that opportunity has come, and I'm not passing it up."

Rainbow sighed. "I… I guess you're right. I just…"

To the woman's surprise, the man pulled her into a hug. "I know I promised you a ride on my bike, and it seems I won't be keeping that promise. But one day, you'll look back on this time as just one big adventure."

"…Yeah. I guess you're right." She hugged him back. "Thanks Tyr."

"You gonna be alright?"

"Once I get back to kicking those Agency guys butts again, I will be." She gave him a wide grin.

"I can understand that!" Tyr laughed.

"Alright. Thanks Tyr. I really needed this talk."

"No problem."

"You probably should go talk to the others too y'know."

"Got stuff to do?"

"Course!" Rainbow pulled herself free and lifted off the ground, hovering a few feet above him. "And so do you, Papa Wolf!"

She flew off, leaving Tyr to chuckle softly to himself. "Papa Wolf, huh…?" He shook his head and was about to go searching for one of his other friends, only to be intercepted by Pinkie Pie. "Gah! Pinkie!" He exclaimed as she hugged him tightly around the waist. She didn't speak for a moment, simply keeping her pink head firmly buried in his chest. Tyr stared at her for a moment, before simply smiling and hugging her back.

"…Am I bothering you?" Pinkie asked quietly.

Tyr shook his head. "Not at all, Pinkie."

"I had so much fun meeting you, Tyr," Pinkie said. "You will always be one of my bestest friends."

"Bestest isn't a word, Pinkie."

"I know."

Tyr couldn't help but chuckle. "You were always tons of fun, Pinkie. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more," She told him, leaning up to gently place a kiss on his cheek. As he let her go to touch his cheek in surprise, Pinkie gave him a huge grin before bouncing away. He could sense an odd feeling of love coming off of her. As he watched her pink tail vanish around a corner, Tyr realized he would probably never understand that pink haired girl. But at the same time, he didn't really mind. He liked Pinkie as she was—silly and unpredictable. And on that note, he spotted a familiar head of purple hair. It was Rarity, and the seamstress was surprisingly surrounded by a small group of Equestrian kids. They were watching her do something, and Tyr moved closer to see what it was. To his surprise, the elegant woman was fixing a teddy bear for a worried looking girl. Tyr watched in silence as Rarity deftly sewed the arm back onto the toy, easily repairing it. She handed the toy back to the little girl with a small smile on her face.

"Here you go, Amaranth," Rarity said. "Now you'll take good care of that bear, won't you darling?"

"Yes miss Rarity!" The little orange haired girl nodded quickly, a wide smile on her face. She and the other kids ran off, laughing and talking as they went. Rarity stood up from her spot on the grass, dusting off her skirt. She turned slightly and saw him. To her credit, she kept the small smile on her face as she got up to speak to him.

"Oh, hello darling. Did you need something?"

"Not really," Tyr answered honestly, coming over to her. "What were you doing?"

"Oh, just a little repair work," Rarity smiled. "Like yourself."

Tyr chuckled. "Right. Didn't realize you did toys."

"It's just a bit of needlework, really. I don't mind at all. Plus…" She sent a gentle gaze at the backs of the retreating children. "…Putting a smile on their faces is worth it."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

Rarity was silent for a moment. "Darling, I want to know… will you miss us?"

"Miss you? Of course I will."

"…That's good then." She turned away, looking off into the distance. Tyr reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hm?"

"Rarity. This might surprise you, but I consider you one of my closest friends."

"Me? But why me, darling?"

"Rarity, you replaced mine, Sherry's, and Luna's clothes without asking for anything in return. You helped Chrys just because I asked, and never once asked for a favor in return. You never let me leave your boutique without paying me for the work I did."

"Well, I always considered what I did repayment for all that you've done for me…"

Tyr felt the small smile on his face grow even more. "You have a beautiful heart, Rarity. That's what attracted me to you in the first place."

"…Attracted?"

"As a friend, obviously," Tyr relied quickly, noticing the blush on the other woman's cheeks. He felt a bit of heat rise to his own cheeks. A blushing Rarity was quite cute.

"Ahem! Yes, of course. I value your friendship as well, Tyr."

"Great."

"Well, I should get back to work," Rarity said, smiling at him. "I-I have to help Vanna after all!"

"Right," Tyr agreed, still not completely sure what to say as the woman left. But as he glanced away in slight embarrassment, he felt a gentle touch against his cheek—a kiss. "…Rarity?"

"For luck, darling."

She was gone quickly. Tyr thought to catch her and ask why she thought to do that, but instead, he let her leave and found his eyes drawn to another person he needed to speak to, a blonde in particular. Perhaps talking to her would get his mind off the odd behavior of Rarity. Pinkie was Pinkie, and random behavior was her calling card. "Yo, Applejack!"

"Huh?" The farm-girl turned slightly, a box of something on her shoulder. "Oh, hey Tyr! Mind helping me out with this?"

"Sure," Tyr offered. His friend was standing beside a small stack of boxes, and he came over and picked up one. They were much heavier than he expected. "The hell…? What are in these things?"

"Fruit. Too heavy for ya?"

"Don't even tease, AJ."

The farm girl watched as the taller man lifted up a second box with relative ease. She gave a soft whistle. "Well, I reckon I don't have ta worry too much about ya, huh?"

"I can handle myself. What about you, cowgirl?"

He came up beside her as they walked, only to have the woman bump into him with her hips. He barely managed to catch the boxes before they fell. "Better watch that mouth a yours, Tyr. You don't wanna get shown up by _this_ cowgirl."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tyr replied with a chuckle. They carried the boxes over to a spot where Big Mac was sorting them. He gave them a short nod before going back for the other containers, leaving them alone. The two of them spent some time in silence, simply getting food out and organized. It was a while before Tyr finally decided to breach the subject. "Hey… AJ?"

"I'm alright," She said, preempting him. She smirked. "As much as I don't want ta leave y'all behind, the princesses said it's the only way. So I'm gonna suck it up and just keep working."

Tyr blinked, honestly surprised. But his good humor returned quickly. "That's just like you, huh? Faithful and strong."

"You better believe it!" Her smile was wide, but it lessened a bit after a moment. "Say… Tyr. I know it may not be the best time, but… could ya maybe spare a bit of time for Fluttershy? She's been quieter than… well, quieter than she normally is."

Tyr gave her a gentle smile back. "I wouldn't mind at all, cowgirl."

Applejack gave him one last smile before going back to help her brother. "I kinda like that nickname, Tyr!" She called back.

"Then I'll make sure Fluttershy starts calling you that!" His smile grew as he heard her laugh. Applejack had one of those full laughs, and it never failed to bring a smile to his face. So with his honest friend off to do her job, he went looking for Fluttershy. He didn't have to look far. She was under a tree, humming a song to a group of birds. She looked so peaceful and serene… he decided to simply sit and not interrupt. It was a few minutes later before Fluttershy finally turned and saw him. Her eyes widened in shock.

"T-T-T-Tyr!" She stuttered, blush turning her cheeks a rosy red. Her voice came out in squeaks. Tyr couldn't help but laugh softly.

"Hope I didn't frighten you too much," He said apologetically. He glanced up at the birds in the trees. "Especially if you've got a captive audience."

"Captive? Oh no, they're free to go whenever they want," Fluttershy said softly, glancing up at the birds. Tyr looked as well, and he could have sworn most of the birds began chirping irritably at the suggestion. Seems they were really enjoying her singing. Tyr moved up beside her.

"Are… are you doing alright, Fluttershy?" He asked quietly.

"Am I…?" The pink haired girl frowned. "I think I'm okay. Is… is something wrong?"

"Applejack said you've been quieter than normal."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. She twisted the simple silver ring on her ring finger. It was the one of the rings Vanna had made after the triple wedding, not wanting the others to have to run out and buy their own. They hadn't been as elegant as the ones Luna and Tyr wore, but the happy couples didn't mind much. After a moment of silence, Fluttershy continued. "Is it weird if you're the only man I'm really comfortable around?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I'm alright with Big Mac and Twilight's big brother Shining Armor, but…" She paused for a moment, twisting her fingers in her long hair. "…You're the only one I'd call a friend."

"I… Thanks Fluttershy. I mean, I know I've not spent as much time with you as the others, but that means a lot to me. You've never hesitated to share kindness with me."

She blushed, hiding her face behind her hair. "…If… if it was possible…" She began, but trailed off back into silence.

"Hm? If what was possible?"

"I mean… if you ever ended up in Equestria… would you like come over for tea?"

Tyr blinked, but then smiled warmly. "Of course, Fluttershy. I'd enjoy that."

She smiled. It was a pretty smile, small but earnest. She opened her mouth to say something else, but another voice interrupted her. "Tyr!" It was Twilight, coming towards them from the castle keep. She seemed a bit surprised to see Fluttershy. "Oh, Fluttershy! I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"We were just talking," Fluttershy said before Tyr could reply. He personally wanted to continue talking to her, but she quickly made way for their other friend. "I actually need to go help Applejack."

"Oh alright." Twilight turned her head to Tyr. "Do you mind walking with me?"

"Sure, Twilight." He spared Fluttershy one last glance as she hurried away, a small cloud of birds following. He chuckled.

"I still don't know how she does it," Twilight said, following his gaze. "I guess they are just attracted to her kindness."

"Not that surprising, I guess. So what did you want, Twilight?"

They began walking. It didn't seem like there was much of a destination in his librarian friend's mind, so Tyr simply waited for her to speak. He contented himself for the moment simply watching the oncoming sunset. It caught him off guard how late it was, but he had been wandering around for the majority of the day. They ended up coming to a section of the castle grounds where the children were playing. Tyr spotted Sweetie Bell, Applebloom, and Scootaloo playing with his two children. Aurora was apparently playing tag with the older girls, while Sweetie Bell was helping Aleron read a book. Unseen by the kids, Twilight and Tyr stood off to one side, watching. After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "Aurora and Aleron are cute kids."

That brought a smile to the man's face. "Yeah, they are aren't they?"

"From what I've seen, Al takes more after you."

"And Aurora is like a more energetic version of Luna," Tyr added.

"Aurora was born an Alicorn, right? It stands to reason she'd take after her mother. And Aleron was born with latent magic?"

"Mmhm. I'm counting on you to teach him once he gets older."

"I doubt I'll be able to teach him anything Luna or Celestia couldn't…"

"You're the Princess of Friendship, right?" Tyr smiled. "The magic you carry made your group of friends complete. Who better than you to teach him how to pick good friends?"

Twilight smiled. "You… You sure know how to flatter a girl, don't you?"

"I've had some decent practice."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." Tyr grinned. "My darling wife is unused to praise."

"I suppose that is true." Twilight's smile suddenly faded, and she turned to him with a serious look. "…You know they'll be taken along with us, right?"

He knew. He didn't want to say it out loud or even want to think about it. But Twilight had finally brought it up, and the grim realization finally hit him. Aleron and Aurora were born with Equestrian traits—magic, tails, wings—and would no doubt be taken from him when the spell was completed. He let out a deep sigh. "…I know."

"I'm sorry to bring it up, but I just wanted to make sure you're completely—"

"I know what I'm giving up," Tyr said, cutting her off. "But I promised to protect you all, and that's what I'm going to do. If that means staying behind, then I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" She turned to him.

"Absolutely."

She sighed. "Then I won't say anything that might sway your decision. Just… watch out for yourself, alright?"

"I will."

Twilight bit her lip. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Instead, she simply moved close to him and hugged him. "Thanks, Tyr. Thanks for everything."

Tyr blinked a couple times. "…You're welcome, Twilight."

"Call me Professor," Twilight told him with a smile. "Cause I think next time you see me I will be one."

"Alright then," Tyr said, and they broke apart. She had said next time, he realized. She was expecting to see him again. He grinned. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I'll see you later, Tyr!" She said, turning away and running back to the keep. "I gotta get ready for the spell!"

He waved after her, unable to see the tears on her face as she ducked through the door. She didn't want his last image of her to be of her crying.

-x-

"Sherry?" Hope called softly, entering the silent room. She looked around, her eyes finally coming to rest on the pink haired girl. She was seated on the window sill, looking out over the castle interior. The Rubrik was in her hands, and she was aimlessly turning it over and over in her hands. She hadn't noticed Hope enter. The white haired girl spoke again. "…Sherry."

Sherry turned slightly. "Oh, hey Hope. Is something the matter?"

"You sad, Sherry?"

"I… Yes. Yes I am."

"Why?"

"Because when we cast this spell to send us all home… I may never see my dad again." There were tears in the young girl's eyes, and Hope frowned in consternation. In the time she had spent with the Hymir family, Hope had gone through her fair share of small hurts and injuries. Each time, she had bawled like a baby. But what else was she supposed to do? She was a child in everything but body. But whenever she was hurt, or sad, or upset, Sherry was there for her with a comforting word and a hug. This time, however, it was her adoptive sister that was in distress. Unable to think of anything else to do, she walked over and hugged the smaller girl from behind. "H-Hope? What is it…?"

"Don't cry," Hope said weakly. It was times like these she hated her inability to speak well. "Tyr… would be sad."

"Dad…?"

"Mm! He… not like you sad. Should be happy!"

"But how am I supposed to be happy when I may never see him again?" She buried her face in her hands. She was furious with herself. She was the newly titled Princess of Creativity, and she couldn't think of any way to save them all and let her father remain with them. And it was tearing her up inside.

"Sometimes sacrifice is necessary. Sometimes we have to let go of the things we love."

Sherry's head snapped back up. "Mom!?" She knew that voice anywhere. Her mother had always spoken to her with that calm and knowledgeable tone. But when she turned around, she found a confused Hope staring back at her. The girl scrunched up her face for a moment before pointing at herself.

"Hope. Not Mom."

"I… I thought…" Sherry shook her head. She wasn't hearing voices _again_ , was she? "…It's alright Hope. Thanks for coming to see me."

"…Happy?"

"Not quite, but I'll get there eventually." She stood up, Hope moving slightly away to give her room. Just as they did so, the door opened up and Rainbow Dash burst in. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Come on outside, Sherry!" The rainbow haired girl rushed into the room and grabbed the wrists of the two girls. "You too Hope!"

"What's going on?"

"Just come on!" Unable to get any answers, they were forced to follow the Element of Loyalty downstairs and outside. They were finally led to a small open area which to their surprise was full of all their friends, from the knights and the Princesses to all of the Elements of Harmony except Pinkie. "I brought them!"

"Great!" Twilight said, a small smile on her face.

"What's going on?" Celestia asked while frowning slightly. Apparently no one had bothered to tell her what was going on. But before she could get any answers, Pinkie Pie arrived, pushing a quite confused Tyr in front of her.

"I brought him!" She sang out, bouncing over to the others. Tyr looked just as confused as the rest of them.

"Anyone want to tell me why Pinkie just suddenly grabbed me and brought me here?" The man asked.

"Twilight will explain," Rainbow muttered quickly, flying over to him and taking his cell phone from his pocket. "Borrowing this."

"Hey!"

"Sorry about how short notice this is," Twilight said, finally making an effort to explain. "I had an idea, and I wanted to work it out before we were… you know. Unable to."

"And what idea was that?" Luna asked. She was honestly curious.

"A group photo!"

There were a few surprised looks from the gathered Equestrians. "A group photo?" Ace asked, confused. "Why take one of those?"

"Think about it," Twilight explained, "Once we're all gone… I wanted to at least leave something for Tyr to remember us by."

"Oh…"

"I mean…"

"Thank you, Twilight," Tyr said with a smile. "That's a great idea."

"Well, I suppose we should get in some kind of formation," Celestia chuckled. Taking the Princess of the Sun's instruction, the somewhat large group began to shuffle around. Tyr was stuck in the middle, with Luna and Chrys being placed at either side of him and Sherry put in front of him. The pink haired girl looked up at her father, only finding a warm smile staring back at her.

"You alright?" He asked softly, reaching up and resting his hand on her head. She shook it slightly.

"I'm fine, dad."

"Everyone stay still!" Twilight admonished. Rainbow deposited Tyr's phone with Cheerilee, who had apparently been drafted into taking the picture. After a bit of fiddling, she figured out how to work his camera. Rainbow flew back to the group, settling in behind Twilight and next to Ace.

"Sorry!" She said, accidentally bumping Beat's wheelchair.

"It's alright," Beat replied. She chuckled. "At least I'm not on a hill."

"Okay, that sounds terrifying."

"It was actually kinda fun once Ace rescued me."

"Okay, everyone ready?" Cheerilee asked. A chorus of affirmatives responded just as the CMC finally settled down in front. "Alright! Everyone smile!"

She took the picture. Tyr heard the soft click of his phone imitating the shutter noise before Cheerilee lowered his phone. "Thanks, Cheerilee," He began, starting to move over to get it. Before he could a hand grabbed his shoulder. He looked up to see Twilight looking at him. "Uh… something up?"

"Just one more picture," She said. "With… just the six of us."

Tyr turned around to see the other five Elements of Harmony looking at him, all with expectant looks. "Go ahead, beloved," Luna said, nudging him slightly. "Chrysalis and I will be waiting for you inside." The two women shared a secretive look.

"Waiting for me…?" He didn't get much time to question what she meant before his princess and Changeling left him, headed back into the keep. He was left with his six friends who crowded back around him.

"Too bad I can't take my phone with me when we go back," Pinkie complained. "Otherwise I'd want a picture too!"

"Let's just get this show on the road," Applejack said, glancing at the sky. "Don't look like we got much light left."

Tyr smirked. He figured he could do something for his friends here. With a wave of his hand, his magic came to life and suddenly the small area was lit up with silver light. "That better?"

"Oh my goodness darling," Rarity murmured, looking around them. Silver sparkles drifted from the air around them, layering them in a soft, yet bright illumination akin to stars. "How did you…?"

"I've gotten pretty good," Tyr admitted. "Although to be honest, I'd rather do this than use it to fight."

"Come on, let's do this thing!" Rainbow complained.

Rarity huffed. "Always in a rush!"

"No, Rainbow's got a point," Tyr said. "There's still our guests outside, remember?"

"Can't we just forget about them and they'll go away?" Pinkie whined.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, Pinkie. They aren't the boogeyman. But I see your point, Tyr. Let us take the picture."

Cheerilee giggled softly. "Alright now. Get closer together." They assembled back together then, and Cheerilee readied herself to take the picture. Before she took it, suddenly Tyr felt arms encircling his neck and warm cheeks pressed up to either side of his face. Something rested on his head, and both arms were suddenly wrapped as well. The camera snapped, and everything pulled away just as he tried to move.

"Okay, what the heck?" He murmured, looking around at his friends. They all looked quite pleased with themselves.

"Before you get all upset," Cheerilee giggled again, coming over. She handed him his phone back. She pointed to the screen. "You might want to look at that."

Tyr looked down at his phone, feeling his friends crowd around him. With one button press, the screen came on. Tyr was greeted with a picture that even he couldn't be mad at. Applejack and Twilight had been the ones to throw their arms around him and had pushed their smiling faces up against his. Rarity and Fluttershy had taken either arm, the shy girl with a thick blush and the fashionista with a small, refined smile on her face. Rainbow Dash had flown up just enough so that she could rest her head on top of his, and Pinkie was in front of him, grinning a smile only she could. Tyr smiled softly. "Girls… this is… this is perfect."

"That way you don't forget us, no matter how long it is," Rainbow said.

Rarity placed a hand on his shoulder. "And to remind you that no matter what, you are our friend and we care about you, darling."

"Just don't ever forget us, sugar," Applejack said, patting him on the back. Tyr simply grinned back.

"I would never."

"Um… not to interrupt," Fluttershy said, speaking up. Her blush was still there, but a little lessened. "But didn't Princess Luna and Chrysalis say they were waiting on you?"

"That's right," Tyr said, nodding. He glanced up at the keep. Chrys's thoughts hadn't been coming to him since they had left, so he was completely in the dark at what they could possibly want. "I should probably go…"

"Just go already!" Rainbow snapped. She grinned to show her comment was not antagonizing. "I mean, we all got last minute things to do, right?"

Tyr didn't reply, but shook his head as he left them, six laughing girls at his back. He didn't want to leave them, but he couldn't simply leave probably the two most important women in his life.

He came into a darkened room, eyes narrowed and trying to adjust. Before he could the door was swiftly closed and he was left in complete darkness. He felt his way across the room, somehow managing to miss everything he thought was in here. Only the singular bed—wait, there was a bed in here? A soft chill ran up his spine. Unable to contain his nervousness, he spoke up. "Uh… girls? You two in here?"

"Of course we are, Master," Chrys purred from the darkness. He couldn't place it, but he felt like he had heard this sort of tone from her before.

Luna's voice filled his senses then, as if she was right next to his ear. "We were waiting for my Prince to arrive."

"And now he is here."

Something brushed up against his arm, and he reached out, finally gripping something… soft. A wave of pleasure ran through him, obviously transmitted by Chrys. As if to confirm his thoughts, a hand closed around his and he felt breath on his other ear. "…It seems my Master wishes to get started… right away."

Tyr coughed, almost tempted to summon a construct to light the room. But at the same time, he really didn't want to lose focus or he'd be squeezing _whatever_ it was he had taken hold of. And judging by Chrys's reaction, she was almost begging for him to do just that. Luna spoke up again, at the same time hands ran along his back. Her hands were cool, no doubt courtesy of her magic. "Eager, beloved?"

"I just want to know what's going on," Tyr managed.

"Oh? That is a simple enough answer. Consider this… a special gift."

Chrys spoke up again, releasing his hand so that she could press up against him. "A gift from both of us to the man we love."

Luna pressed up to his other side. "You won't refuse us, will you, beloved?"

Tyr took a deep breath. "…It would be quite rude of me to refuse, wouldn't it?" He said finally, only to hear two quite happy women giggle softly at his reply. As he was gently—yet firmly—led to the bed, he felt like he was in for a long night.

* * *

 **Up next, a final showdown with Bastille and his gathered army. There's a solution to our issues, but will the Princesses manage to cast their spell in time? Will Jehu intervene, or will he stay on the sidelines? Will any one die?**

 **Well, yeah, someone will die. I mean, that's a given.**

 **But who?**

 **Until next time, my dear readers. Read, Review, and Return for the conclusion to this stressful siege.**

 **"May the Odds ever be in your favor."**


	47. Chapter 46: Finis Autem Militis

**Hello again, my dear readers. We have finally hit that point many of you were absolutely dreading:**

 **The end of Light of the Moon.**

 **I know a lot of you will be quite upset when you finally reach the end of this chapter, but I have to say; writing this story was... a ride. It may be just me, but I think the greatest joy of a writer is bonding with their characters while they write, and finally reaching the conclusion of a story. I'll admit, when I began writing this story, Tyr was almost just a POV character to act as the focal point for which the story would revolve around. But I think Night Light hammered it home for me, as the writer, that this was the character that drove the story. His interactions with each character made the story fun to me. Although writing Luna as a somewhat shy somewhat aggressive lover were fun too. :P**

 **But before I move onto comments, I want to firstly thank each and every one of my readers, both reviewers and ghost readers. The very fact that I knew there were those reading, following, and favoriting my story kept me going during those times I was stuck on a particular chapter (Honest Kindness, I'm looking at you). So thank you for sticking with me up to this point, and I hope this chapter fulfills your expectations.**

 **theflammablefiredragon: How did I know you'd be the one to get the 100th comment? Firstly, thanks for sticking with me for the whole ride. I think I've laughed at almost every comment you've left. And I will tell the truth, writing this chapter was hard. Very hard. Especially during the latter portions where I actually was in tears while I wrote. I thank you for even giving my story a chance, and thank you for staying with me, no matter where this story went. I see whatever emotions I can pull from my readers as a job well done, whether words of praise or messages of resentment. As long as I made them feel _something_ I can be happy with my work. Keep up your own writing my friend, and know that I'm not done yet either. Not by a long shot. **

**yannick: Unfortunately, no. :P I planned for Light of the Moon to be completely lemon free. I did actually write a scene for Luna and Tyr after Night Light, but I still don't know if I'll post it on Fanfiction.**

 **DragonLord RyuKizoku: I think I'm allowed at least one reference, lol. And there will be an Epilogue, but if I've got you pegged right you'll have more questions than answers by the end of it. And as for sweet Chrissy, the bond would only kill her if Tyr dies. Sure, being transported to another world is pretty close to dying, but she's found a way around that. What way that is, I'm not telling. Not yet.**

 **Fern of the Clouds: Hey, if you've got the goods... lol but no. And I'm glad you felt that emotion from the chapter. That's my ultimate goal whenever I write. Believe me, I cried too.**

 **Ryan Phillips: I'm glad you love it. And you have an idea? I'd love to hear it. :D**

* * *

Chapter 46: Finis Autem Militis

"Why the hell are they just waiting?" A particularly belligerent white haired knight stood atop the wall, staring out at the human camp. Ace had been on watch for most of the day, but it was about as boring as he figured. The humans were staying in their little camp, and there had been no movement at all from them. He had been all pumped up and ready for a fight this morning, and then… nothing. No activity. Not even a weak attempt at hammering Shining's shield. He scowled.

"Oh quit your complaining," Rainbow said from beside him. She was sitting on the wall, relaxing in the noon day sun. "If they don't attack us, all the better, right? That lets the Princesses do that spell undisturbed."

"I know, but you know how I am. You like speed, I like fighting."

"I guess we're both adrenaline junkies, huh?"

Ace chuckled at that. "I suppose you could say that."

They cut off their conversation just as Grace came up to them. The red haired knight paused to send a gaze out at the human camp. "…Still nothing?"

"About as dead as a graveyard," Ace said. "There was a bright flash of blue, and then nothing. I thought they were readying some kind of magic jammer like they did before."

"No tech like that has shown up?"

"Not even any more of those Angels have been stomping around," Rainbow said with a wave of her hand. "I say good riddance."

"I doubt they want to even be here after Tyr gave them that thrashing," Ace said. He snorted. "I'm still pissed I couldn't join in."

Grace looked back out at the human camp. A sinking feeling was in her stomach every time she looked at it, and it refused to go away. "…Well, we'll have quite a bit of work on our hands before you know it."

"I dunno…" Ace glanced out as well. "If they don't do anything—

A loud voice cut him off. It boomed across the open area and send most of the sentries near them scrambling and covering their ears. "TYR HYMIR! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Ace simply scowled at the noise. He pushed himself up to see better. "What the hell…? Where did that come from?"

"Look," Grace said, pointing. Rainbow got up as well, and they found themselves looking at great blue glow coming from the human camp. It focused into a beam, and then opened up into a wide, doorway like portal. The Equestrians on the wall stared in horror.

"What… what is that?" Rainbow asked.

"A gateway would be my guess," Tyr said, coming up beside them. He was accompanied by Chrys, and had a dark look on his face. Fenrir came after him. She blinked in surprise before running to the edge of the wall beside Rainbow. A look of resignation crossed her face. Tyr joined her a moment later, glancing down at his wolfish partner. "Guess it's worse than we thought."

"You'd be correct in that assumption, Alpha," Fenrir said. "This reeks of Order Magic, but…"

A tall figure left the human camp, standing in front of the castle. It was Bastille. "TYR HYMIR!" He roared again.

"Standing right here, Bastille!" Tyr called back, jumping up onto the parapet. "Tired of having a tea party out there?"

"I believe it is time to dispense with all the smoke and mirrors," Bastille replied, his face set in a scowl. "It must be obvious by now what side I am on."

"I was going to say the same to you!" Tyr said, magic flaring. His fur lined armor appeared on him, and Fenrir stood up beside him, a wild grin on her face. Tyr smirked. "Or is that not what you wanted to say?"

Even from this distance, Tyr could see the man's face contort into a scowl. Bastille raised one hand and snapped his fingers. A massive white lion with a mane made of gold materialized beside him and his human military garb was replaced with the bright armor of the Zodiac. His helmet had a bright, golden plume atop it, and a golden cape flowed from his back. The only ones on the wall to not gasp in surprise were Tyr, Chrys and Fenrir. They waited expectantly as the man below them spoke. "I am Leo of the Zodiac and the wielder of the Spirit of Obedience. I am giving you one last chance to surrender."

"And if we do?" Tyr asked, willing to at least humor the Zodiac Knight.

"Then I will ensure your deaths are painless."

"Normally you'd say you'd leave us unharmed."

"You and I both know that will not happen."

Tyr sighed. "Then you would know how this day is going to play out."

"You will not live through today, Chaos Mage."

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you."

A huge solid ball of confetti smashed into the ground beside Leo. The helmeted knight glanced over to the side, almost as if wondering where it had come from. Those on the castle wall were similarly confused, and looked to their right. Pinkie was there, behind her smoking party cannon. A slightly irritated look was on her face. She leaned over the wall edge. "Heeeey! Can you do me a big favor and step to your right a little bit?"

"…No?" Leo sounded a bit confused with his answer.

"Aw, please!"

Tyr let out a sigh. "Pinkie…"

The gateway behind Leo pulsed, and out came a large battalion of Zodiac soldiers led by two more elegantly armored and armed men. "Here come the grunts," Ace muttered. He smirked. "To be perfectly honest, I'm looking forward to this."

"If I didn't love you I'd think you were crazy," Rainbow muttered. "…Scratch that. You are crazy."

"We're all a little crazy—" A low moan rolled out of the human camp, sending shivers down the spines of all that were listening. As the defenders of the castle watched their enemies move out into formation, more figures began to slowly shuffle out of the camp. It was the human soldiers, but… changed. Ethereal blue light glowed from their eyes, and they moved as if they were puppets. They were like—

"Zombies," Rainbow murmured, shivering. She had watched a lot of horror movies with Ace, Beat and Scootaloo, and by far the most they watched had dealt with the undead. And seeing those humans shuffling out now… "They look like zombies, man…"

"They are close," Fenrir admitted. "The spirit of Obedience…"

"He is commanding them," Chrys said. She scowled. "I cannot sense any desire from them… except to serve."

Tyr glanced over at her before looking back at the horde before them. The humans were being placed in front of the heavily armored Zodiac soldiers as if they were a human shield. "Forcing them to obey… So that's what Order is to him, huh?"

"Obedience promotes stability," Leo said evenly. "But you, as a proponent of Chaos, would not understand that."

"Oh, I understand alright," Tyr replied. "I understand that you want to control everything. That anything that happens outside of what you consider the norm is wrong. But let me tell you something, Leo. Life is unpredictable. You can't control everything!"

"Enough of this. Soldiers! Assault the castle!"

The pounding of boots heralded the march forward. More and more soldiers came out of the gateway, filling the field. The controlled humans marched forward as well, one singular purpose embedded into their minds. "They're coming," Rainbow said quietly, looking out over the approaching army.

"I guess this is going to be it," Ace said. He sighed, and then glanced over at Tyr. "It's been fun, man."

"We're not dead yet," Tyr told him, smiling.

"So what's the call?"

"We just need to keep them off the walls—Oh dear Celestia," Rainbow murmured.

Tyr looked over at her. "What…?" He trailed off, following her gaze back over the field. The gateway Leo had opened pulsed sharply, and it seemed to be vibrating. Then a loud otherworldly screech tore through the air. A massive four legged beast covered in slabs of marble white armor pounded its way out. It was huge and muscular, with a head like that of a bull's. The Zodiac soldiers made way for it, giving it a clear path to the castle.

"What is that thing?" Rainbow asked.

"A war beast," Fenrir said. "Some hapless creature twisted to serve Zodiac."

Ace frowned. "…What is it doing?"

Tyr felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he realized what was about to happen. He raised his voice as best he could. "Everyone off the walls, NOW!"

"What?" Rainbow looked up at her friend. "Why do we—?"

"That's not just some war creature, it's a BATTERING RAM!" His warning came moments too late, as the war beast came charging at the wall. Tyr grabbed Chrys and Fenrir and leapt from the wall, using constructs to give them a safe landing. Rainbow and Ace followed his lead, only to be sent flying as the creature impacted the wall with force. It shattered Shining's barrier with ease, and smashed directly into the wall. The force of the blow sent stone flying everywhere as a huge hole was torn in the wall. The beast screeched again as it shouldered its way inside.

"By Celestia's name," Ace groaned, getting up. He and Rainbow had just managed to get off the wall as the creature had hit it, but the shockwave had knocked them down. He managed to get up to his feet and looked at the hole. "…Well, that's not good."

"I think we should be more worried about the giant thing coming inside!" Rainbow protested, pointing. The war beast was looking directly at them, no doubt seeing them as the easiest and most convenient targets. It loomed over them, no doubt judging which one of them would be the most satisfying to crush. Rainbow gulped. "What do we do?"

"I think we let another friend handle it," Tyr said, glancing up. "Vanna, NOW!"

A roar from above them distracted the war beast, causing it to look up just as several tons of angry dragon smashed on top of it. The war beast fought back to its feet only to have the bronze dragon clamp down on its throat with its huge jaws, forcing it aside. But the damage was done—mind controlled humans were already pushing through the hole in the walls with their armored support marching up behind them. Equestrians were swarming down from the walls, trying to keep a good distance from the battling giants. They had to plug the breach, and unless they suddenly had a giant block of stone there to do just that, there was only one order Tyr could give.

"To the breach!" He roared, summoning his frost blade. A chorus of howls and cheers responded. "Make them pay for every inch!"

-x-

"I just want to remind you guys I don't think this is a good idea," Sweetie Bell said. She, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were in the upper levels of the castle, slowly making their way to one of the upper balconies. The young singer was the only one nervous in the trio. As if to show that fact, the other two girls rolled their eyes.

"We're just gonna find a window or something so we can watch the battle," Scootaloo assured her. "It's no big deal."

"We'll be perfectly safe!" Applebloom agreed.

Sweetie bell frowned. "Still not convinced on the safety of this plan…"

They rounded the top of another flight of steps. "Wait, get back!" Scootaloo suddenly hissed. She pushed her two friends back a bit so they could hide around the corner. Sweetie and Applebloom pushed up just enough to see over their friend, just in time to see Rarity hurrying by, a wrapped bundle in her arms. Something fell loose as she rushed by and clattered to the floor. Unsurprisingly, the fashionista was too preoccupied to notice. As soon as she was out of sight, the three girls came back up. "Wow. Rarity sure was in a hurry, huh?"

"What do ya think she was carrying?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Bell didn't speak up immediately, instead letting her eyes catch on something shining on the floor. She knelt down to see what it was. To her surprise, she found a diamond tipped arrow lying there. Scootaloo and Applebloom looked over to her as she picked it up.

"What's that?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Bell frowned. "An arrow… with a diamond tip."

"An arrow? Why would your sister have that?"

"I dunno. Maybe—" Whatever thought Sweetie had was drowned out by a loud roar from outside. Scootaloo perked up immediately.

"Come on!" She said, and hurried to a nearby door. She opened it and let out a happy laugh upon finding an empty balcony. "Guys, you gotta come see this!"

Sweetie and Applebloom followed their athletic friend, the latter hanging back a bit. Sweetie joined Scootaloo at the railing, and her eyes opened at what she saw. The battle was heavy at the wall, with the Zodiac soldiers pressing forward in a shield wall. Tyr, Ace and Flash led the Equestrians in a loose formation, trying their best to hold back the superior numbers. Constructs filled in where they could, but without anyone able to recharge Tyr, the quality of his silver soldiers was beginning to flag. It was unlike anything the three girls had ever seen. "Celestia save us…" Sweetie Bell whispered.

"Hey girls?" Applebloom was back by the door, a little bit of fear on her face. "Y'all shouldn't be so close to the edge…"

Sweetie Bell turned, but it was Scootaloo who responded. She blew a raspberry at her. "Oh, stop worrying! They're all the way out there, what's the worst that could happen?"

The color suddenly drained out of their red haired friend. "D-D-D-DRAGON!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie turned simultaneously, their eyes widening as the giant lizard in question came flying towards them. It had been sent flying by the Zodiac war beast, and there was nothing to stop it from smashing into the side of the castle. It slammed into the castle below them, one massive wing smashing into the bottom of the balcony. Stone gave way to muscle and bone, and suddenly the young Pegasus and unicorn found themselves floating in air. "Oh crap," Scootaloo managed to say, just as they began to fall.

"Scoots! Sweetie!" Applebloom cried, but from her place in the doorway, she could do nothing to help them.

Scootaloo's wings flared to life, and she began to slow her fall. "Yes!" She said. All that practice with Ace and Rainbow was beginning to help. She glanced over at the dragon, which had recovered and was back to fighting the war beast. She did feel as though she was missing something…

"SCOOTALOO!"

She glanced down to see Sweetie Bell below her, still falling. Without wings of her own, she would die the moment she hit the ground. The young Pegasus hesitated only a moment before she dived after her friend, willing her wings to propel her as fast as she could. Still, she could get no closer. Every second they got closer and closer to the ground. "COME ON!" She yelled.

"Watch it!"

Scootaloo felt herself being jerked to the side, finding nothing but blue in her face. She fought to get free only to find her adoptive mother looking down at her. "Rainbow Dash!"

"That's 'mom' to you now, squirt!" She snapped back. "What the heck were you doing!?"

"Sweetie Bell!" Scootaloo pulled herself to look over the rainbow haired woman's head to find her friend. To her immediate relief, she saw Sweetie Bell safe and sound in Tyr's arms. The girl was in tears, and to Scootaloo's surprise, Tyr was actively trying to comfort the distraught girl. She sighed. "…She's okay."

"What where you two doing?" Tyr asked once Rainbow had landed nearby. Sweetie Bell rubbed tears from her eyes.

"We were… trying to see the battle…" She murmured, averting her eyes.

Rainbow snorted. "That was pretty dangerous you two. What if Tyr and I weren't watching?"

"Save it for later, Rainbow," Tyr said shortly, glancing back to the wall. "We can't take too much time. I can't get distracted for too long!"

Rainbow opened her mouth, but shut it immediately. She looked down at Scootaloo. "…Just… take Sweetie Bell and stay inside, alright?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Tyr glanced at Sweetie Bell, who was still clinging to his arm. "You gonna be alright, Sweetie?"

The pink and gray haired girl nodded slightly. "Y-yeah. I think I'll be okay."

He gently patted her hair. "Hey, I'll check on you later, alright?"

"Okay."

The two younger girls ran back to the keep, not looking back. Once they were out of sight, Rainbow let out a long sigh. "Honestly… that girl is too much like me."

Tyr smirked. "I thought daughters were supposed to take after their moms?"

"Oh, shut up and let's go bash some heads." Tyr couldn't argue with that, and the two of them rushed back into the fray. The Equestrians were holding the breach for now, the fact that Vanna in his dragon form was fighting the war beast giving them the breathing room they needed. Ace and Chrys were proving to be a deadly combination as the two natural killers threw lifeless Zodiac soldiers and human puppets aside like chaff. Flash fought alongside them, dispatching their faceless opponents with calculated efficiency. As Tyr shoulder tackled a zodiac soldier, he thrust one fist into the air. On his signal, a massive stone came sailing from the top of the castle, smashing down into a large group of Zodiac soldiers. Atop the castle, Tyr spotted a familiar Stetson being waved at him. He waved back, mentally thanking whatever deity the Equestrians believed in for giving that girl legs of steel. He killed the soldier he was up against and summoned his construct soldiers to charge the breach.

"I think we're holding them," Flash murmured, ending up beside the taller man. His longsword rang against a Zodiac shield, but Tyr leapt in to cut down his opponent before they could retaliate. "Lucky for us they only had one of those wall breaker things."

A loud crash from behind them made them pause. The two men turned to see a second war beast shouldering its way into the castle. Zodiac troopers swarmed in after it. Tyr gave Flash a flat look. "…You jinxed it."

"No regrets," Flash responded.

-x-

Fluttershy cried out as she bumped into a rack full of medical supplies. Before it fell, a bright pink magical aura gripped it, righting it without much effort. The pink haired girl glanced behind her to see Grace pointing one hand in her direction, her arm sheathed in a similar pink glow. "…Thank you, Grace."

"Be more careful," the medic ordered, going back to the patient in front of her. Her magic took hold of several of her needles, allowing her to swiftly sew closed a gash wound. After cleaning off the area, she did one last check to make sure she hadn't missed anything. "Okay, done here. Next!"

"Your passion and zeal is quite grand," Zecora murmured, applying a bandage to another wounded man. "I fail to see how you are still able to stand."

"I've dealt with worse," Grace said quickly, tying off another man's arm before she addressed his wound. He was slashed up quite a bit on this arm, no doubt attempting to block a blade of some type. Needles came flying in at a wild pace, tying wounds closed as fast as she disinfected them and treated them. Without missing a beat, she patted the man on the shoulder and used her magic to slide him to a cart so that he could be moved away. "Next!"

"Oh my…" Fluttershy murmured, watching as a pair of female Equestrians brought in another patient for Grace to work on. The red head was working much faster than either she or Zecora could. And she was doing it so well. She had delegated the herbalist and veterinarian into tending to the lighter wounds, while she herself dealt with anything near fatal. And no one had died in her hands yet. Fluttershy turned back to the roll of gauze she was retrieving, only to have the door to the infirmary burst open. A Zodiac soldier stood there, blood splattered over its armor. "AH!"

A single thrown knife greeted the soldier, finding the spot right between the helmet and the breastplate and lodging right in the throat. All eyes went to Grace, who was looking at the door with a scowl on her face. "They've gotten this far…?"

"We are no longer safe here," Zecora said. "The enemy is upon us, I fear."

"Start getting everyone here to the keep!" Grace ordered, pulling her sword charm off her bracelet. With a flash of her magic aura, her sword returned to full size. "I'll make sure no one gets to you."

"Let me help you Grace. That way, you won't have to be our ace."

"But you—" She didn't get to finish her sentence, as another pair of Zodiac troopers burst into another door. Before Grace could draw and throw any knives or needles, Zecora had pulled a round bottle with a swirling dark blue liquid in it and threw it at the pair. On contact, it exploded, throwing the armored warriors outside. "…Wow."

"You'd be surprised what herbs and liquids can be used in explosives," Zecora told her with a wink. "The list I have made is quite expansive."

Grace nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Let's get these people out of here!"

With the knight and herbalist leading them, they began the process of getting all the wounded out of the makeshift medical facility. They had set up near the walls in order to get the injured to them faster, but now as the Zodiac soldiers swarmed into the yard it seemed like it had backfired. A squad of soldiers broke off from fighting a group of Equestrians and came charging over at them. Grace readied her knives—

Only to have the corpse of a dead war beast crash onto them, the giant creature's throat slashed open and weeping some kind of greenish fluid. Vanna—still as a dragon—landed atop the thing, roaring and spewing fire into the air in victory. Grace lowered her weapon as the dragon glanced over at her. One golden eye winked at her before Vanna took to the sky once more. Grace blew a kiss after him. Another war beast was dying off near the wall, a giant silver hydra pulling it apart with ease. However, despite these victories the Zodiac soldiers were implacable, marching forward. More war beasts were breaking through the wall, and some kind of strange flying creatures were occupying the flying Pegasii. The hydra vanished, and Grace spotted Tyr atop of wall of silver soldiers, Chrys at his side as he raised an open hand towards the keep.

"That's us," Rarity murmured, gesturing to the gathered archers on the topmost balcony. They had made some rudimentary bows with materials Vanna had scrounged up, and Rarity had supplied the diamonds the arrows were now tipped with. She had even placed a sharpening enchantment on them in order to be doubly certain they would penetrate the armor of the warriors below. As the archers drew their weapons and aimed up, the other person on the balcony let her own magical aura flow forth.

"You do not have to remind Trixie, you know," the illusionist murmured with a halfhearted scowl. "She remembers the signal."

Her aura covered the archers, and they released their arrows. The small cloud arced up into the sky. With a snap of her fingers, Trixie's aura expanded, and the small cloud of arrows became a dark torrent. As the Equestrians beat a hasty retreat to the castle keep, the hail of arrows came down like rain atop the advancing Zodiac soldiers. The illusions broke apart on contact but the real ones, obscured by the others, fell true, penetrating the armor of the Zodiac troopers and laying low many of them. The other war beast was swarmed by silver soldiers and dragged to the earth. That made enough space for the Equestrians to flee inside of the keep and bar the doors. The archers themselves stayed on the roof as long as they could before crossbow Zodiac soldiers chased them off.

-x-

"That's the best we can do," Applejack muttered, backing up from the castle doors. She and several others had spent their time barricading the door with everything they could get their hands on—wood planks, furniture… everything was there.

"Will it hold?" Rarity asked softly. She and Trixie had come down from the balcony and were looking up at the makeshift barrier worriedly. There had been no noises from the other side, but who knows what they were doing out there…

"It'll do," Applejack said with a sigh. She brushed an errant hair out of her face. She had lost her hair tie sometime during the chaos upstairs, and was forced to let it loose about her shoulders. "We ain't got much choice in the matter now, do we?"

"No giving up just yet," Grace said, finishing her rounds. She pulled her own hair out of its pony tail and handed the hair tie to Applejack. The farm girl looked at it in surprise, but took it anyway.

"Uh… thanks, sugar," She said, tying her hair up.

"It's no big deal," Grace assured her. She smiled. "You look better with it tied back."

Rarity sighed. "And I've always tried to get her to wear it down…"

Footsteps interrupted them as Tyr, Flash and Ace walked by, grim looks on all of their faces. Rarity went over to Tyr. "Darling, what do we do now?"

Tyr looked away from her. "I… I don't know."

"Do we even have a plan at this point?" Grace asked. "We don't really have another place to fall back to."

"We just hold," Ace said darkly. He glanced around. Many of the remaining Equestrians were scattered about the main hall, with the rest no doubt elsewhere in the castle. They looked over as he spoke. He bit his lip. "We fight and die for the Princesses if we have to."

"We can't fight like you do," Rarity pointed out. "So we need some kind of plan!"

"There's not much we can plan," Flash pointed out. He scowled. "We're all out of ideas!"

"You can't just expect us ta just fight and die," Applejack said. "We ain't soldiers!"

"And we're exhausted!" Ace snapped. "Believe me, I'd love to keep going all day, but I know I can't!"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd love to go back to killing, wouldn't you?"

"Look guys—" Tyr began, but they were already arguing. This wasn't helping anyone, and the looks of despair on the faces of the Equestrians around them was growing. Where in the world was Pinkie when you needed her?

A soft noise interrupted them, and they all looked over to one side. They found Beat in her wheelchair amongst a small group of Equestrians. She was singing, a soft lilting number that suddenly calmed every one down. They stood in silence while they listened, giving her their undivided attention. After a minute or so of listening, Ace let out a sigh. "That's my Heart for you," He said softly.

"Her voice is so enchanting…" Grace murmured. There was a serenity in her voice, and the tension in the room went away.

Rarity turned to Ace. "Sorry about what I said," She told him.

Ace shook his head. "No, it's true. The people here aren't fighters or soldiers. We're asking a lot of them to do all this."

Tyr was silent for a long moment. The Equestrians, unused to fighting, would be slaughtered at this rate. His constructs would fill in for them, but the headache he was starting to get from magical exertion was starting to get to him. He wouldn't last much longer. There was just one option left to him. "…I'm going to challenge Leo," He said suddenly.

They all stared at him. "What… why?" Flash was the first to speak. "Why do you…?"

"You remember what Jehu's daughters told us, right? That if we kill the leader, the rest of them would leave. If I can take out Leo, then we'd win."

Ace sighed. "You know what objections we're going to have," He said. Tyr nodded.

"Of course," He said. "But it's the only way. I stall him, and that gives Luna and the others more time to cast their spell."

"I can't accept just sending you out on your own!" Rarity said.

"And what about us, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "They don't seem like the type ta just ignore us while we're in here…"

"We'll stop them," Ace asserted with a grin. "While Papa Wolf goes and hunts himself a Lion."

"Just don't die out there," Grace told him with a small smile.

Flash nodded. "We'll be waiting for good news."

"You people confuse and terrify Trixie," Trixie muttered. "Regardless, I pray for your safe return, Tyr."

Rarity nodded. "Do… do your best, dear."

Chrys landed gently beside Tyr, while Fenrir appeared on his other side. "Do not worry," The Changeling said. "We will be with Master through thick and thin."

Fenrir let out a loud laugh. "The King of Beasts versus the Wild Hunters. This will be a hunt to remember!"

"We'll handle things on this end," Flash assured him. "Good hunting."

Tyr's magic armor and frost blade materialized, and he gave them a small smile. "Thanks. All of you."

There was a crash at the door. "Hold the door!" Ace cried, rushing towards it with a dozen other Equestrians. They threw themselves against the barricade, holding it with sheer weight of bodies. "Tyr, if you're gonna go, go now!"

Tyr nodded, making to go. Just as he made to move however, Rarity grabbed his arm. She had a pained look on her face. "…Rarity?"

She reached into his cloak and pulled out his amulet-style necklace. It was a brilliant white with a band of blue through it. As she watched it, it swirled into a rainbow of color. "…I see," She murmured to herself.

"Rarity, what is it?"

"…Nothing. Be careful, dear."

She let him go, following Applejack as the other woman began helping Grace move the injured. Tyr watched her go for a moment, before glancing over at his Changeling and Chaos Spirit. "Shall we?"

"After you, Master," Chrys said. The trio stole away to one of the side halls, heading to a side door. They opened it slowly. "…Doesn't look like there are any waiting for us."

Fenrir grinned, her pack of wolves on her heels. "So the element of surprise, hm? Let's go then!"

"Alright then girls," Tyr said, gripping his weapon tightly. His other hand went up to his amulet, his Element. He lifted it up to where he could see it and found it a bright silver, with the rainbow band of color across the center. He smiled. "…Let's raise some hell."

They rushed out of the castle, wolves racing forward to be the first to kill. The Zodiac Soldiers turned slowly, completely caught off guard. They were busy trying to tear the door down with an assortment of blades and axes. The first wolves tore into the group with reckless abandon, clearing a path for Tyr, Fenrir and Chrys to charge through. Their sights were set on one target in particular: Leo. The Zodiac warrior flung his cape aside to draw his sword. "Come then, Chaos Mage! Meet your end on my blade!"

"Chrys, wreak havoc," Tyr ordered quickly. "Fenrir, by my side."

"Of course!" The wolf woman barked, transforming into her wolf form. Chrys lifted off from the ground with her wings, pausing just a moment to kiss her master on the cheek before barreling into a group of Zodiac soldiers. Tyr and his wolf stopped short of the Zodiac warrior.

"I hope you've said all your goodbyes," Leo told him, his golden magical aura manifesting into a massive white lion. The creature's body looked like it was made of marble, smooth and pure. "Because once I am done with you, I will be dealing with your friends inside."

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "You won't be getting that far."

"That's what you think." Throwing off any pretense of continuing the conversation, Leo charged forward with his lion. Tyr and his wolves met him. Their blades rang out against one another. Tyr's heavier weapon forced Leo onto the back foot, but the armored warrior parried a second strike and darted around to the side. He was surprisingly quick for someone in full armor. But a slash to his side was blocked, giving Tyr the opportunity to strike back. The duel went on in earnest, neither man gaining a true advantage. They broke apart momentarily.

"You are not that bad," Leo said, clearly impressed. "You fight like an experienced swordsman."

"I've had plenty of practice," Tyr said. He snapped his free arm up, summoning his constructs to his aid. Leo started in surprise, before dodging a group of spears. More constructs appeared, all aiming their weapons towards Leo. "But how good are you against an army?"

Leo's head tilted ever so slightly before the silver constructs swarmed him. He fought his way through, a beam of golden light erupting from his gauntleted fingers as he blasted away the attack. Tyr let his magic free once more, silver catapults hurling their contents at the Order Mage. Leo said something that the other man could not hear, and a golden barrier sprang up and absorbed the attack. "You will need to try harder than that, Tyr."

[Alpha!] Tyr jerked to the side just as a marble lion pounced on him. He slipped away from it, bringing his sword down on its neck and severing its head in one clean stroke. But the creature vanished into dust, and reformed a short distance away. Fenrir growled. [How irritating]

"You're telling me," He agreed, mentally ordering his wolves onto the attack. Leo unleased a golden corona of light, knocking the wolves back.

"Prepare yourself for the true might of a Zodiac Knight," Leo said, planting his sword point down in the ground. He folded his hands together as if he was praying. " _Let all who stand kneel, let all who speak be silent, and let all who feel tremble and fall. We demand Obedience._ "

Golden light engulfed the armored man. Tyr covered his eyes, but peeked out to make sure he wasn't about to be rushed. The light receded quickly, leaving Leo still in the same place. But his armor had become even more ornate, with golden trim and accents. Alongside him was a larger than normal lion of pure gold, teeth bared. The Zodiac Knight's weapon had grown in size, going from a normal saber to something akin to a bastard sword. He pulled it free, and pointed it at Tyr. "…Prepare yourself."

[Alpha, it is time] Fenrir murmured. [You remember the words I told you?]

"I do," Tyr said softly, reaching out to gently run his fingers through the wolf's fur. The knowledge he had come into possession now was at the forefront of his mind. " _Let the howl from my throat split the heavens. Let the chills down your spine alert you. Our fangs run red with blood. Carnage is all you deserve, and all we desire._ "

The wolves gathered around him then, eyes turning red with each word. Fenrir herself shook out her fur, her body growing slightly larger with her fangs and claws turning red like blood. Tyr's frost blade took a red tint on it, and the chill of his magic began to seep into the air around him. Leo nodded slightly. "So you know your invocation then."

"I figured it out," Tyr murmured.

"Then this will be a fight to remember."

Tyr shook his head, and the wolves began to growl. "No, this will be a slaughter."

"So confident, I see… Very well. How about we up the stakes?"

"What—?" Tyr didn't have any other moment to think as Leo pointed one hand towards the castle and unleashing his magic. It blew through the gate and left a gaping hole there for the Zodiac soldiers to charge into. Tyr blinked in shock, locking eyes with a group of surprised Equestrians and Ace. They were as caught off guard as he was. But that shock quickly gave way to slight panic as the Zodiac soldiers rushed the breach. With that hole opened, it was life or death for the people inside. He had to fight now. "You bastard!" He roared, charging forward.

Leo met his charge with stoic determination, blocking the attack with ease. His lion leapt for Tyr's throat, but Fenrir intercepted the charge, tackling the other magical creature to the ground. They hit the ground, rolling in a confusing mess of claws, fangs and fur. Magic, steel and anger fueled the two dichotomous men, one representing the stoic and unchanging Order while the other relied on the spontaneous and wild Chaos. Even as they fought, their errant spells crashed into the ground around them, even catching some of the other Zodiac soldiers. The mindless soldiers were actively trying to avoid the two warriors, giving them the semblance of an arena. More magic lions materialized, keeping Tyr's wolves embattled and unable to help their Alpha. "You will not win this!" Leo roared, deflecting a clumsy attack and kicking Tyr away. He followed up the attack with a heavy slash, managing to cut across Tyr's shoulder. The man replied by hacking down on the knight's arm, biting through the metal of his armor and drawing blood. He ducked back as Leo attempted to decapitate him. Tyr slashed forward, only managing to strike Leo's shoulder pauldron. The armored knight struck back, only for the faster man to dodge him again. "You cannot kill me, Chaos Mage!"

"I'm sure as hell going to try!" Tyr responded, leaping forward and burying his blade into his opponent's waist. The blade passed through a gap in the armor, and he could feel it bite through flesh. He ripped it out, flinging blood as he did. Leo kept on fighting, hammering the hilt of his weapon into Tyr's gut. The human man doubled over, but kept his wits about him enough to roll aside before the knight could take off his head.

[Alpha!] Fenrir thought worriedly. Tyr could even feel Chrys's concern, but he jumped to his feet in time to block another strike. There was magic behind the blow, as Tyr felt the burst of power force him down. Leo was laying it on thick. As the knight raised his blade to strike again, Tyr lashed out with his leg, catching the other man in the shin and unbalancing him. The knight staggered, giving Tyr the opportunity to get back to his feet.

"You are a persistent one, Tyr," Leo said, regaining his balance. His armor was scarred from their fight, and there were several rents and tears in the metal where Tyr had struck home with his blows. "I give you credit for that. You Chaos Mages are quite the stubborn lot."

"I appreciate the compliment," Tyr muttered, eyeing his opponent warily. He was also not as well off, with cuts in his cloak and body where the magic blade had caught him. He had the advantage of speed, but with his wolves being contained by those lions… Each blow he dodged was only by the barest of margins, and the cuts he had were proof of that. He could hammer his frost blade into Leo's armor again and again, but if he let the knight get a hit in, he'd be a lot worse off. Plus, the strain of his magic was starting to take its toll. He wouldn't be able to continue a fight of attrition like this. He glanced off to one side, where Chrys was struggling against the armored Zodiac troopers. She was doing her best despite all the injuries she had sustained. From the look of it, she was holding on simply because he was.

"It's a shame you fell to Chaos," Leo said, continuing. "You would have made a fine Knight of Order."

"No thanks," Tyr snapped. "I don't think we would have made a good fit."

"…You perhaps are right. Prepare to die."

"This is insane!" Rainbow complained, kicking away a zombie. She had finally given up on calling them anything else, as their primary mode of attack was to drag down their victims and tear them apart. She had seen a couple of her former weather ponies die in this way, and it was only the constant fighting that kept her from vomiting on the spot. That and the morale-raising song that Heart was singing. She and the other unicorns had taken a position behind a makeshift barricade and were supporting the others with magical attacks. Song was alternating between an inspirational song and one that left nearby Zodiac soldiers clutching at their heads in pain. She was beginning to tire, and occasionally her singing would drop.

"You've just gotta have fun with it!" Ace replied, slicing the head off a zombie. His white hair was streaked with blood, and the manic grin on his face was nothing short of nightmare inducing. For just a split second, Rainbow doubted whether or not she was really sure about marrying this guy. But the moment the thought crossed her mind, Ace turned to her. A bright smile was on his face, losing the evil glee it carried before. He was simply happy for once to be in his element for a _good_ reason. A smile grew on her own face. Before she could say anything, she was being shoved out of the way of a large battle axe. The weapon smashed into the ground where she had been standing, the Zodiac soldier turning its head to face her. Before the armored warrior could attack again, Grace appeared, running her sword through his neck. She tore the weapon free in one smooth stroke.

"Oh buck me," Rainbow muttered.

"Later!" Ace growled playfully, appearing behind her and pulling her to her feet with an arm around her waist. She rolled her eyes, but there was no time for playful banter. The tide of Zodiac soldiers was unending, and the zombies were still pushing through the breach as well. They were holding, but they couldn't do so forever. Rainbow leapt back into the fray, ducking past a pack of zombies. She came face to face with a Zodiac soldier with a longsword. She sidestepped a strike and kicked the warrior in the face, taking off into the air in one smooth motion. The warrior went after her, only for something to slam into it from the back. It was Applejack, the cowgirl without her familiar Stetson. It must have been lost somewhere in the chaos. With her unnatural strength, she tore the shield away from the Zodiac soldier and knocked him down with it. Flash dropped in then, killing the warrior in one fell swoop.

"Nice save," Rainbow said.

Applejack smirked. "Just don't get too distracted up there, sugarcube," She told her friend, before hefting the shield back towards the group of magic users.

"I wish we could plug that hole up somehow," Grace muttered, magic flinging a brace of knives into a rushing group of zombies. The healer was covered in scars, but a determined look was on her face. "If only…"

As if to answer her prayer, a huge stone came sailing through the air and smashed into the arch above the broken gate. The impact shattered the stone, raining it down on top of the encroaching enemies. They all looked back to see Big Mac standing amidst a pile of stones, one particularly large one hefted in his hands. Ace whistled. "Well, that's pretty awesome."

The auburn haired man gave a rare grin. "Eeyup."

Flash slew another zombie before parrying a sword attack. "Well, can you put another one over there? Maybe we can plug that hole—!"

He was cut off by a war beast smashing into the broken gate, screeching some kind of war cry as it pushed in. The hole grew even wider, much wider than any rock Big Mac could toss that way. More Zodiac soldiers and zombies filled the breach. "Aw, crap," Ace said.

"What do we do?" Grace asked. Everyone looked to Flash.

Flash bit his lip. They needed some kind of strategy, and Ace was busy fighting still. Tyr was still outside, and the flashes of gold and silver magic lit up the setting sun outside. He wanted to order a retreat, but retreat to where? The halls? They couldn't let them get any closer to the Princesses, and there were no really good defensive positions inside the castle… "We need to…"

"Oh no, darling!" Rarity's voice suddenly cried out, catching their attention. The purple haired woman was cradling Heart Song in her arms. Rainbow felt her blood run cold as she immediately flew to their side.

"What happened?" She demanded, landing beside them. Heart Song was still breathing thankfully, but her eyes were lidded over and blank. She must have fallen out of her wheelchair at some point, for Rainbow noticed it laying on its side.

Ace was there in seconds. "Aw, damn it!" He hissed.

"What happened to her?" Rarity asked. "One moment she was singing, and then she suddenly just fell!"

"She overworked her magic," Ace said, sighing. "Oh, Heart I warned you…"

"They're comin' back in!" Applejack called, lifting up her appropriated shield. "Y'all better get ready!"

"I'm starting to think we might die here," Ace said, jumping up and moving to join the others. Rainbow followed after him, a small frown on her face.

"You're just now starting to think that?" She demanded.

"What can I say? I'm a bucking optimist."

"Quit all the pillow talk and let's get to work," Flash said. The rest of the Equestrians in the main hall gathered around, armed with whatever weapons they could find. He let out a sigh.

"We have a plan?" Grace asked. The Zodiac reinforcements were pushing back through the breach, and magic bolts were already hammering into them. Ace grinned.

"I think we just kill them and hope not to die," He said with a laugh.

"…You have no idea how much I hate you right now."

No more words were exchanged, as battle was joined. Applejack and Big Mac fought together in the center, the larger man grabbing a sword of his own to match his sister's shield. For mindless soldiers, the Zodiac troopers didn't seem too keen on getting close to the Apple siblings. But elsewhere they had the viciousness of Ace and the efficiency of Flash to deal with. Grace, having used up the majority of her magic healing, supported them with thrown needles and knives, every throw killing a target. Rainbow flew overhead, diving down to attack before flying quickly out of range. Around them the Equestrians rallied, despite more of their number falling to the emotionless Zodiac. "This is hopeless," Rarity murmured, clutching at her forehead. She had been using her magic all day, and her head was throbbing with pain at this point. She staggered back and sat down beside the unconscious Heart Song.

"No time to rest, Rarity!" Rainbow said, landing nearby. "They're not going to wait for you to fix your hair!"

Rarity huffed. Yes, her hair was a mess. But that wasn't why she was sitting. "I am not that worried about my appearance right now, Rainbow Dash! Unlike you, I am not beholden to combat!"

Rainbow shot her fashionable friend flat look. "Yeah right. I'm surprised I haven't heard you complaining that much."

Unwilling to let Rainbow simply tease her like this, Rarity was going to respond in kind. But before she could, a glint of metal caught her eye. "Rainbow, LOOK OUT!"

"What?" Rainbow whirled on the spot only to have the Zodiac's blade slice into her left wing, almost severing it at the base. She screamed out in pain, falling back into the barricade. Rarity screamed in anger, blasting the offending soldier's head into dust. But as the suit of armor fell backwards, Rarity felt something impact her shoulder. She glanced down, finding a crossbow bolt lodged in her chest.

"…Oh," She muttered, before falling backwards to the ground.

The room where the six Alicorns prepared their spell was awash with color as their pooled magical energy collected. At the center of it all the Rubrik floated, collecting the energy. They had been hard at work pouring their energy into the large magical matrix that surrounded the cube. They had been insulated from the goings on outside by Shining Armor's barrier, and even Trixie had placed an illusion that hid the door to the room. They had been able to work in complete peace. But that was about to change.

"It's finished!" Sherry said suddenly as she cut off her magical aura. At the sound of her voice, the other Alicorns did the same, all but Celestia and Luna slumping to the ground in exhaustion. The two Princesses stayed standing, but the tiredness could be seen on their faces.

"Can you do the spell?" Cadance asked.

Sherry nodded. "Like I said before, I just needed the power. I can do the spell without you all now."

"Hope tired," Hope said, sighing.

"I know, Hope." Sherry gently patted the other girl's hair. "But you all can rest now. All I have to do is activate the spell. And then we get to go home."

Luna's eyes snapped open wide. "…Home?"

"That was the whole point of this, right?" Cadance asked, only for Luna to suddenly bolt past her and out of the room. There was a faint shimmer of magic as the illusion spell was dispersed. "Aunt Luna?"

As Cadance and Sherry made to follow, Celestia held up a hand. "Hold, both of you. She will be fine."

"But…!" Sherry began, only to have Twilight put a hand on her head. "Twilight?"

"We know where she's going," Twilight pointed out. "…Stopping her would be cruel."

Sherry glanced back out the door, where Luna had gone out of. The Princess of Dreams had already gotten up to the main hall, where the Equestrians were still managing to hold the line. She paused ever so slightly as she almost ran into Flash. He was covered in blood and multiple injuries, but he was still standing. The blue haired man stared at her in shock. "Princess Luna? What are you doing here? Is the spell finished?"

Luna didn't reply, instead dashing past him. She let her wings open wide to let her soar over the battle. Equestrians and Zodiac alike looked up as she flew past, some of the Equestrians throwing up a ragged cheer and charging forward with renewed vigor as one of their Princesses arrived. But she was not there to help. She had one objective, and nothing was going to stop her. Even as the Zodiac soldiers turned to attack her, her magic flowed over them like water, freezing them into solid blocks of ice. She didn't pause, flying past the entire battle until she saw him.

"TYR!"

The wounded knight turned slightly, spotting her coming. His surprised look gave way to a grim one as he whirled back to his opponent, smashing his blade into Leo's side. The other warrior grunted, and tried to slice off his head. But Tyr ducked under the attack, pulling his weapon free and kicking Leo away. As he turned, Luna's arms flew around his neck and her face pushed into his chest. Tyr sighed, the comfort of having his wife in his arms flowing through him. "…Moon," He said softly, burying his face in her hair. There was that smell of blueberries again, he thought. That smell he had come to love over the past year. "What are you doing out here?"

"I can't," She murmured, pushing her face deeper into his clothes. "I couldn't go without seeing you one last time."

"That means…" He trailed off just as a massive pink and purple burst of magic erupted from the castle, stopping everyone in their tracks. Tyr immediately recognized it as Sherry's magic. "…She did it."

"Beloved…" Tyr glanced down just as Luna looked up at him. Tears were streaming from her big blue eyes, and he gently reached up to wipe them away. "I… I don't want to leave you…"

Tyr glanced past her and the growing magical aura. Equestrians that touched it were vanishing on the spot, only thin wisps of purple glow left behind. It was growing quickly, and it would be upon them in a matter of seconds. He looked back to Luna. "Princess… Moon. I'm sorry. I don't want to let you go, but…"

"I… I know. But this is the way it has to be, right?" She tried to smile, but it was weak. "…I'll miss you."

"And I will miss you."

Luna pushed up to him and Tyr leaned down to meet her, their lips meeting for one last time. Tyr embraced her tightly, wishing that just being close to her would let him stay with her. But the magical aura kept expanding, stealing each Equestrian it touched. Chrys, obviously confused by what was happening, paused in ripping open a Zodiac warrior to watch the barrier. She reached out tentatively to touch it, only to vanish on the spot. It was inches away from the Princess and her Prince just as they broke the kiss in time for her to say one last thing.

"I will wait for you."

Tyr didn't have time to respond, as the magic aura covered the Princess of Dreams and she vanished, leaving Tyr with just the taste of her lips and the feel of her body against his. The sun had finally set, and night had finally fallen on the battlefield. An eerie silence permeated the area. It took a second for the full weight of the realization to hit him: She was gone. The love of his life, his princess, the mother of his children—was gone. He looked down at his hands. She had just been there, in his arms… and then she was gone. His hands closed into tight fists. This wasn't fair.

"Life is cruel, isn't it?"

Tyr spun on the spot, only for Leo's sword to pierce him right through the shoulder. He grunted in surprise and shock. The Zodiac knight yanked his sword free and backhanded the other man to the ground, sending him sliding across the earth. "Damn it!"

"It seems those friends of yours that you risked your life for are all gone now, hm?" Leo advanced on him slowly, sword held out. Fenrir had been pinned by a half dozen lions, unable to come to her Alpha's aid. Wounded and exhausted, Tyr had run out of magical power and now they were weak. "Who do you have left to fight for, Tyr?"

"They escaped," Tyr muttered, rolling onto his back. He gave the armored knight the best look of defiance he could muster. "So in the grand scheme of things, I won."

"But you are alone now." Leo tilted his head as he looked up at the castle. Without Sherry's magic to sustain it, it was slowly falling apart, collapsing on top of itself. There was silence as the structure turned to dust. "Even your castle has fallen."

"But my friends lived."

"…you've sacrificed a lot for them it seems. And it seems you will be losing your life for them now. Prepare to die alone." The Zodiac soldiers had gathered around the two fighters, witness to the end of the duel. Leo raised his sword to finish the fight. Tyr reached out to grab for his own weapon, but he had dropped it when the knight had struck him. He was unarmed, and with the wound in his shoulder, he was already limited in movement. But before the blade could fall, the armored figure suddenly jerked forward. Tyr could feel the shock come from him, and then he saw something poking from the knight's chest—a bronze spear head. "…What?"

"He's not alone," Vanna growled, grinning. A pair of dragon wings were extended from his back, and his eyes were pure gold. He forced his weapon deeper. "I ain't leaving him high and dry just yet!"

Leo dropped his weapon, turning sharply and smashing the dragon-kin away with a backhand. Vanna went crashing into the rubble of the castle. But the damage was done, and he staggered to his knees. Tyr grasped hold of something thin, and without thinking he swing it as hard as he could into the side of Leo's neck. The diamond tipped arrow penetrated the gorget the knight was wearing and tore right into his throat. The Zodiac knight fell back, and Tyr rose to his feet. He summoned his frost blade. "I told you once," He said softly, fighting through the pain of his shoulder to grip the weapon. "As long as my friends are with me, I won't give up."

"You cannot defeat Order, Chaos Mage," Leo rasped, blood quickly filling his throat. "Even if you kill me, what will you do? You have no way of going after them."

"I suppose I'll go where the wind blows," Tyr muttered, and in one stroke sliced off Leo's head. Thus severed, the rest of the Zodiac Knight's body froze up, and then fell forward onto the ground. Tyr stared at the fallen warrior for just a moment, before collapsing from magical and physical exhaustion. All was still.

"It seems our brother has fallen," a feminine voice said. Two more Zodiac Knights approached through the crowd of warriors, their armor almost identical to one another's. "How… unfortunate."

"He underestimated his opponent, it seems," Her twin said, his voice echoing slightly because of the helmets they wore.

The female of the pair moved forward, leaning over slightly to examine the Lunar Knight. "…It seems this one is still alive, Ini. What should we do?"

"Kill him, Gem. If he slew our brother that is all he deserves."

"I'd advise you to pause on that thought," A voice said. The two Zodiac Knights froze on the spot, turning to look towards the voice. Jehu greeted them with a wide grin, his violet eyes bright with magical power. They cringed as he stepped forward. "That one is mine."

"Mad Rose King," Gem said respectfully. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice. "We did not come here to fight you."

"Then you should take your men and leave," Jehu advised, stepping forward out of the darkness. Chains snaked out from behind him, each tipped with a hissing snake head. A couple shot out and ripped into the watching Zodiac warriors, killing them simply for being there. A thought occurred to the man then, and his grin became even more savage. "Unless you all wanted to have a little fun…?" Gem and Ini shared a quick look before beating a hasty retreat, leading their soldiers away in short order. Jehu looked a little upset, but shook it off. He glanced over at the prone Tyr. "…Passion?"

"I got him dad," The small firebrand of a girl appeared and lifted Tyr up from the ground. A flat bodied spider like creature made of glass appeared, and she placed the unconscious man onto its back. Passion glanced over at her father. "Are you sure I can't go smash a few before we go?"

"We don't have time, Passion-fruit," Jehu said with a chuckle. He glanced around, noticing that there was no one around. "Now come on. No point in sticking around here." He opened a door then, and the two Chaos Mages took their new comrade away. With the backdrop of the disintegrating castle, both Order and Chaos escaped the scene, leaving nothing but dust in their wake.

* * *

 **Those Equestrians left have made it home. Leo has been slain, and the forces of Order thwarted. Those few allies the Equestrians had are gone as well, and the only thing that stands as testament to them being there is a pile of rubble. Its over. A short lived war that ended on a staccato note.**

 **And then silence. Finis Autem Militis: End of the Knight.**

 **So that's it, my dear readers... or is it? Jehu certainly has more plans he wants to bring to fruition. So I will admit that is not the last we'll be seeing of him, or Tyr.**

 **Love or Hate it, the Library will Accept All. If anything, I hope this story has touched you in some way. For now though, the sun sets on this story, and the day gives way to night.**


	48. Epilogue: Dawn Breaker

**After this Epilogue goes up, I will no longer be posting to Light of the Moon. I will be still posting weekly, and I'll be doing a series of shorts depicting the aftermath of the return to Equestria. Once I've got all the details hammered out, look forward to the sequel to Light of the moon, Lunar Legacy. But for now... Enjoy!**

* * *

Epilogue: Dawn Breaker

It was bright. That was the first thing he knew. That and his entire body was suspended in some sort of liquid. Tubes were connected to various points in his body, with a respirator stuck in his mouth. He lifted his hands to examine them, finding to scars or anything on them. His body was whole. As he felt the muscles in his arms and legs recover, he could hear a machine working, opening a glass cover to his liquid bed. A metal framework formed behind him, pulling him over the surface of the predominately greenish liquid. Tubes and wires connected to his skin broke free as they did so, freeing him. As he moved to pull out the respirator, a voice to his left spoke up.

"Are you awake?" The dark haired woman standing there fixed him with her green eyes, waiting for his answer. He didn't reply right away, working to spit out the respirator and detach the rest of the wires from his body. The metal frame rotated him out of the pod, letting him place his feet on the ground. He moved his legs, testing his muscles to see if they would support his weight.

"Is everything working?"

He glanced again at the woman, this time deciding to test his vocal cords. "…Seems… like it." He said slowly, turning to spit up a bit of leftover liquid.

The woman nodded. "The muscle memory will come back rapidly. You just need to give it time."

"I'm… well aware. This isn't my first time."

"Oh? You realize we almost were unable to retrieve you in time." The woman glared at him. "You cut it quite close."

"Hmph." He rose up on his legs, staggering a bit as he did so. The woman quickly moved to his side to steady him. "…Thank you."

"Take it slowly."

"Right. What's… what's our situation?"

"We took heavy losses, and a vast majority of the Equestrians escaped."

"Gem and Ini?"

"Still alive, Leo," The dark haired woman said. "The Mad Rose King seemed to be in a good mood…this time."

Leo narrowed his eyes. Jehu Striate. Just thinking the name made him scowl. The Chaos Mage was a legend among the ranks of the Zodiac, the one who killed the god of the world travelling Babylonians. The Machine God Babylon and the Mad Rose King Jehu had torn apart almost three dozen worlds during their struggle. "That man… one day, we will be rid of him. He brings us nothing but trouble."

"That will have to wait," the woman said, consulting what looked to be a data pad. "Taurus and Pisces are still getting used to their new bodies, and you are still not combat capable."

Leo diverted his attention to the rows of pods along the walls. Identical copies of the body he was now in were suspended in their own pods, waiting for use. Other rows contained spare bodies for the rest of the Zodiac Knights. "…The only reason I am able to acclimate to this body is due to my Spirit of Obedience, is it not true, Virgo?"

"Very true, Leo. But even you will take some time to regain your former combat prowess."

"True enough." Leo flexed his hand, closing and opening his fist. "…The status of the Knot?"

"Still in possession of the one named Nanna Hymir. She seems to be taking to it quite well."

"How unfortunate that we do not have a Spirit of Order available for her." Leo continued walking, Virgo at his side. They were silent for a long time, neither speaking. The woman was busy working at a data-pad in her hands. Leo gave a rare smirk. "Perhaps she would be suited to the Spirit of Understanding?"

Virgo glared at him again. "You know as well as I do she would not reach my level within two thousand years."

"A jest, Virgo."

A scoff greeted his admittance. "You are not suited to it. Leave that to Pisces."

"As you say. Is there anything else I should know?"

"…Nexus grows in strength. Anastasia Striate recently killed Capricorn, so there is no one currently watching the City of Silence."

"Send Cancer. The Spirit of Sight will prevent her from being assassinated so easily."

"As you wish." They turned into a doorway and entered an armory. Suits of armor hung on the walls, and Leo went and pulled off a few pieces. He got into his armor quickly, and then summoned his sword. It appeared in a flare of golden magic, and he held it up to the light.

"The grasp of a weapon brings back my muscle memory," He murmured, quickly flourishing the weapon expertly before coming to rest in a still stance. "Perfect."

"It seems you're at least combat capable," Virgo said, a disinterested look on her face. "Did you need anything else from me? I need to make sure Capricorn's process has gone without a hitch."

"No," Leo said, running his hand along the blade of his weapon. With that, Virgo left. Leo stayed in the armory, thoughtful. "…So I am still a bit rusty. But I will be ready in time. Balance shall be restored. And next we meet, Tyr Hymir… I _will_ kill you."

-x-

"Hey. Hey! Time to get up!"

Tyr blinked his eyes several times. He was in a dimly lit room, and what looked like bookshelves lined the walls. "Where… where am I?"

"Currently lying on a bloody mattress. Now get up!"

The female voice was familiar, and Tyr sat up. However, the woman before him was the last one he expected to see. The raven haired Mercy was looking down at him with a frown. He stared at her for a long time, unable to figure out what was going on. "…Mercy? Why are you… where am I?"

"One thing at a time. Get up." The woman flicked him in the forehead.

"Ow! Okay, I'm getting up." Tyr pushed himself off the bed, finally noticing the blood stains covering the sheets. His battle with Leo jumped to the forefront of his mind, and he looked over his body for injuries. To his surprised, all his wounds were bandaged up and healing. "…I'm still in one piece?"

"Not for lack of trying," Mercy said, beginning to fold up the bloody mattress. "You were almost ripped apart. It took Isabel and Willow the better part of a week to close up all your wounds."

"I see…"

"It's a pain in the ass that wounds caused by a weapon enchanted with Order can't be healed with normal magic."

"Why… why not?"

"Order is contradictory to Nature," Mercy explained like he should know this already. "Chaos is natural, so Order contradicts it."

"Uh…"

"Order magic can only be truly countered by Chaos magic. Remember when you fought against that AMP?"

Tyr glanced around at her in surprise. "You saw that?"

"We're always watching," Mercy replied evenly.

"Right…"

The raven-haired woman glanced over at him. Her demeanor almost completely changed, and suddenly her tone was much softer. "…You should sit down, Tyr."

Tyr staggered over to a nearby chair and collapsed into it. His body was exhausted and sore all over. "Does it always suck so much after a fight like that?"

"You fought an opponent on equal ground," The woman said. "Being tired and sore means you gave it your all.

"My apologies, Alpha, for I must take some of the blame," A soft voice murmured. Tyr looked over to find Fenrir, in her miniature form, sitting on a bookshelf. She looked a bit dejected. "Exerting my powers by invoking my Concept name has the unfortunate downside of draining you physically afterwards. You were unconscious for almost two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Tyr blinked. "I… wow."

Mercy finished with what she was doing and let out a sigh. "To be fair, you did hold up quite well against a much more experienced Order mage. Although if it wasn't for your friend, you would have died."

"Vanna…" Tyr frowned, staring down at his lap. His dragon friend had risked his life in or der to save his. And he didn't even know if the metalsmith had survived or not. "Did he…?"

"Never found the body." Jehu entered the room, that familiar grin on his face. "And dragon-kin are notoriously hard to kill."

Tyr let out a relieved sigh. "So everyone made it out okay, huh? That means… it wasn't for nothing."

Jehu and Mercy shared a somewhat confused look. Jehu's smile vanished, only to be replaced by a frown. "To be honest, I expected a bit more… anger."

"I can't really be angry when I was the one who pushed them to leave."

"Fair point." Jehu's grin returned. "So, did you have fun fighting Leo?"

"…I suppose. He was quite a challenge."

"And you fought him on equal terms, Alpha," Fenrir said proudly.

"But lost everything for it," a soft voice said. They all turned to see Isabel entering the room, eyes as red as blood. She gave Tyr a sad smile. "…I'm sorry."

"Isabel," Mercy warned, but it was too late. Tyr suddenly dropped his head into his hands, body suddenly shaking with despair. He cried. The tears he had held back in order to stay strong, to never show weakness came rolling out all at once. Mercy sniffled, wiping her own eyes. It was times like these she hated being an empath. "…Great."

"Sorry mom," Isabel said with a weak chuckle. "Since I was using Tsukiyomi so much to heal Tyr, I couldn't get up here without using the All-Seeing Eyes."

Jehu shook his head. "You gotta deal with the blindness eventually, love."

Isabel pouted. "I know, but I don't wanna!"

Tyr looked up at the three other people in the room with him. The nonchalant air they had around them was… infuriating. "You guys seem kinda indifferent about all this."

Jehu gave him an unreadable look. "When you've seen so many of your friends die, just losing them to another dimension isn't that bad."

"All your loved ones are still alive as well," Isabel agreed.

"Plus, we've simply been through the same thing," Mercy pointed out. "Multiple times, in fact."

"I… I see." Tyr frowned.

"Believe me buddy," Jehu said, moving closer. "If we could send you to them, we would. But we can't do that."

"…Right."

Jehu glanced over at his wife. She gave him a short nod. "Although… we do have something for you. A job opportunity of sorts."

Tyr looked up at him, confusion on his face The other man gestured for him to follow, so he got up and left the room. Fenrir hopped off her perch on the shelf to hang onto Tyr's shoulder. But the sight that greeted them both made their jaws drop open wide. Shelves upon shelves of books stood atop each other and stretched into almost visible infinity. "So… so many books…"

"An uncountable number to be sure," Jehu said with a grin. He swept his arm in a wide arc. "Welcome to our home, Tyr. Where you can find anything and everything. Oh, and I do mean _everything_."

"You live here?"

"Over there, mostly," Mercy pointed to a medium sized structure that looked like a house.

Fenrir frowned. "Is that a house? In a library?"

"Weird things happen here," Isabel said with a slight smile.

"This place is… unreal." Tyr moved to the edge of the balcony they were standing on. "Where… where are we?"

"In a place between worlds. This place exists but does not exist. It is both real and imaginary. Sounds awesome, right?"

"…Yeah…"

"Anyways, how would you like to work for me?" Jehu asked, turning to the other man. The violet eyes were narrowed, and the grin on the mage's face was… disturbing. "You'd have complete access to any book here, and any information you wanted. What do you think?"

"What?"

"Think of all the people—or ponies—you'd disappoint! You really want to just lay down and die after all that?"

Tyr narrowed his eyes. "Where are you going with this, Jehu?"

"I'm offering you a job, Tyr. _We're_ offering you a job. What, you want this part of your story to end already?"

Tyr glanced around, finding the entire Striate family behind him—Mercy, Isabel, Passion, Anastasia and Willow. They were all waiting on his response. He let a sigh escape his lips. Without a way to get to Luna, he had nothing else, did he? But what Jehu said… It caught Tyr's attention. "My story… end?"

"Yes! Every story has their arcs, their climaxes and their resolutions," Jehu said with a laugh. "But if there's one thing I've learned from working in this library, no story ever truly ends."

"…Why?"

"Because whenever a story ends, a new story awakens," Jehu said, gesturing to a nearby bookshelf. Tyr looked, and spotted an open book lying on a somewhat clean shelf. As he watched, the pages filled up with text before ending suddenly. The book closed, righted itself on the shelf, and then another book appeared on the shelf beside it. The cover was similar yet obviously different. "When one sees a story, sometimes they are inspired to continue the story, or form something similar. And endless array of stories creating more stories. And an ever growing Library to house them all."

"…You've been here a while." Tyr said, more of a statement than a question.

"We're much older than we seem," Isabel pointed out with a small giggle.

"So I'm offering you a job," Jehu said. "You work for me, since your own world hates you and the world you wish to live in you don't know how to get to."

Tyr stared at him flatly. "…Thanks for the reminder."

"You're welcome!"

Mercy frowned. "So, we've made you the offer. Are you willing to join us?"

"Just to point out," Ana spoke up, pulling her headphones off her head to rest around her neck. "Joining us is permanent."

"So no take-backsies!" Passion said cheerily.

Tyr looked around the family. Jehu and Passion were both watching him with wide grins. Mercy seemed a bit annoyed he hadn't replied yet, while Isabel looked like the picture of patience. Ana was simply waiting, and Willow was playing with a flower on her arm. He stayed silent for a moment, reaching into his shirt to extract his necklace. He looked down at the so-called Element of Valor. It had reverted to its default state, pure silver with a rainbow of colors across it and a dark blue shield in its center. The light it once held was gone however, and it looked like a normal accessory. He let out a sigh. "…Yes. I'll take the job."

"Even if I make you kill?" Jehu asked the question with a savage grin.

"I'm no stranger to death."

"Even if I make you steal?

The silver eyed man frowned. "I can do that."

The glow in the violet eyes grew menacing. "Even if I ask you to sell your soul?"

Tyr let out a heavy sigh. "As long as it's not for anything pointless…"

"Even if you never see your friends again?"

That made the silver eyed man pause ever so slightly. But he pressed on regardless. "…If there is no way to ever see them again." Tyr stared back at the other man with determination in his eyes.

"I have your word?" Jehu held out his hand. Purple sparks danced about his arm as his cloak's sleeve slid back to reveal an intricate black geometric tattoo. It almost looked like tribal markings. Tyr glanced about at the others. Mercy looked impassive, but her vibrant green eyes were menacing. Passion stood between a pair of hyenas, both made of metal. One was a blazing red, and the other was a more subdued violet. Isabel was seated on a chair, seven white robed masked performers arrayed behind her. Ana was accompanied by what looked to be some sort of floating wolf made up of stars. When he turned back to Jehu, the man was surrounded by several snakes made of chains. Tyr reached out and grasped the other man's hand, his own silver tinged magic flaring to life and Fenrir appearing at his side in her wolf form. It was obvious what was going on. These were the Chaos Spirits bound to this family, and they were waiting for his answer. He steeled himself.

"You have my word," Tyr said. With that statement, the Chaos Spirits seemed to come alive.

" _Repentance,_ " The snakes behind Jehu whispered.

" _Mayhem!_ " The hyenas beside Passion laughed.

The performers around Isabel shifted to look at the center one, one more elegantly dressed. The mask on its face was the stereotypical frowning drama mask, yet there were no eyes. It spoke. "… _Tragedy_."

The star-wolf grinned, showing off its rows of teeth, almost like a shark. " _Agony!_ " It said, almost cheering.

Fenrir stood up proudly beside her Alpha and howled in answer to the welcome. " _Carnage_!"

Jehu's grin was a mixture of manic glee and genuine happiness. He flung his free arm out wide. "Well met then, Concept of Carnage! Welcome to the Sleeping Library, Tyr. And welcome… to the family."

-x-

Luna awoke to the feeling of wind on her face. She slowly blinked her eyes open, shaking her head to get hair out of her face. Craning her neck to look, she found herself in a small clearing in a forest. A familiar forest. She struggled up to stand, immediately falling back onto her butt when she tried to get up on two feet. That's when she noticed. Her four limbs were no longer arms and legs, but were now just two pairs of legs that each ended in a dark hoof. She noticed a pool of water off to the side, and slowly crawled over so that she could see herself. She was covered in dark blue fur, and her head was again crowned by her long, flowing mane, parted only by a dark blue horn.

She was a pony again.

Unbelieving, she forced herself up to her hooves, finding standing on four legs came much easier than standing on two. As her eyes scanned the area, she felt the familiar magical traces from the world around her, and as she let her magic flow forth, she could feel the celestial bodies above answer to her power. The moon slowly set from its place in the sky, making room for the sun to usher in a true day. Now in the light, she slowly walked over to the nearby pool of water and looked at herself. She was indeed a pony again, but the only thing her eyes could see were the tears streaming down her face. She rubbed at them, losing her balance and falling onto her side. But at this point, she didn't care. She was alone, and no elation at being safe or home again could make her feel better. Only one thing could.

"Tyr," She murmured into her hooves, bowing her head into them. The tears flowed freely as she sobbed her beloved husband's name. "Tyr…!"

She was still crying when Celestia and Twilight found her a few hours later.


End file.
